The Battle Mage of Hogwarts: Year 1
by Leaf Ranger
Summary: What if Harry wasn't just the Chosen One of Wizards? What if another group of magic wielders also had a prophecy? What if they had raised Harry, and taught him their ways? The Wizarding World won't be the same. Rated T for blood and mild swearing.
1. The Beginning

**I just couldn't help it. I started to think about it, and finally, it overwhelmed me. So, here it is. The beginning of my 7 part Harry Potter fanfics.**

**Just to make a few things clear. This is not really a crossover with anything. I may use references from a couple other games, and such. But most of what you'll read here is stuff I came up with. So they're will be no WoW, no Fire Emblem, no Elder Scrolls, no anything else fantasy based beyond a few references for spells or techniques.**

**Secondly, my Harry Potter fanfics will be taking place later then the actual canon did. The first book starts off on October 31****st****, 1981. I'm moving it to October 31****st****, 1990. Why? So I can have a few things that didn't appear in the books.**

**So, let's see how I do. Hope everyone enjoys these.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. If I did, Harry wouldn't be a emo from book 5-7. Plus, Ginny would have been featured more in Books 3-5.

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**Chapter 1**

**The Beginning**

Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sighed softly as he placed a small bundle on the doorstep of Number 4, Privet Drive. His long white hair and beard ruffled as a cold fall breeze sprang up in the night, and he pulled his purple cloak around him, stepping back from the bundle.

Next to him, Minerva McGonagall, in her emerald cloak, wiped her eyes from behind her square rimmed glasses. The giant of a man next to her sobbed softly, trying vainly to wipe away the tears from his wild black beard and hair. Dumbledore came over, and patted his arm.

"It will be okay, Hagrid. We'll see him again one day." He said softly.

Hagrid nodded "Y-Yeah... you're right, sir."

Dumbledore smiled sadly, as Hagrid slowly got on the flying motorbike he had rode in on. McGonagall, after giving them both a sad nod, turned back into her tabby cat animagus form, and disappeared into the darkness. As Hagrid rode off into the sky, Dumbledore slowly pulled out the silver cigarette shaped Put-Outer, and with one click, lit the street lights of Privet Drive back up. He glanced at the door step where he had left the bundle, before disappearing with a swirl of his cloak.

All was silent for several minutes. Then, a shadow slowly rose from it's position behind a nearby wall, and slowly moved forward. As it entered the light of one of the lamps, the shadow was revealed to be a male figure in a dark red cloak, with a hood pulled up over his face.

The cloaked figure slowly knelt next to the bundle, and picked it up. Inside was a small sleeping baby with black hair, and a strange lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. The man smiled sadly, as he stood.

"I'm sorry, little one. You have suffered greatly all ready, and yet... more must be asked of you. I hope one day... you can forgive me, Harry Potter," he whispered, as he turned, and walked away with the sleeping boy. Not one of the people living in Privet Drive would ever know of what occurred. Not even the family of muggles upon whose doorstep young Harry had been laid.

It was October 31st, 1990, the beginning of a destiny that would shake the Wizarding World to its core.

_9 and a half years later_

Two people made their way through central London. They stopped outside some shabby looking offices, as they examined a somewhat run down telephone booth.

One of the figures was a grown man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He had long brown hair, with a beard and moustache. He was wearing a dark red shirt and leather jacket, with jeans, belt, and brown boots.

The other figure was a ten year old boy who had messy black hair. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, and most of his hair was covered by the hood of a blue sweatshirt. He had jeans as well, with blue and white converse high-tops.

He looked at the older man. "Gareth, why are we here again?"

The man, now identified as Gareth, grinned as he spoke with a slight Scottish accent. "Simple me boy, we're here to get you enrolled in Hogwarts."

The boy sighed. "Do I really have to? I mean, I know it's all part of the prophecy, and it's what my parents would want, but still... it's kinda lame magic, you know?"

Gareth became serious. "It's not lame. The magic used by the Wizarding World is potent, in its own way. You just need to find out how." His serious face became a grin again. "Besides, think of the improvement to your arsenal."

The boy sighed. "Fine. So how do we get into this... Ministry?" He asked.

He was answered by Gareth opening the booth. When they were both in, Gareth grabbed the receiver. "Hope that pamphlet was right," he muttered, as he dialed several numbers.

A cool female voice spoke from the telephone box. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

Gareth grinned. "Gareth Wallace and Ronald McConnor, here to ask for an appointment with the Minister of Magic."

The voice spoke again. "Thank you. Visitor's, please attach the badges to the front of your robes. You'll be expected to submit to a search, and hand over your wands for inspection at the security desk at the far end of the Atrium." Two silver badges slid out, and both Gareth and Ronald pinned them onto their clothes. Both badges stated their names, and their reason for being there.

The booth suddenly began to sink into the ground. The pavement slid past them, and all was darkness.

A minute later, the booth entered the Atrium Entrance of the Ministry of Magic. The young boy's eyes widened., as they were bathed in a golden light.

They stood at the end of a long hallway, with a dark wood floor, and blue ceiling with constantly moving gold symbols. The sides of the hall held many fireplaces, through which witches and wizards were appearing out of, on the right hand side, or disappearing into, on the left hand side. They were accompanied by a flash of emerald green flames.

At the center of the hallway was a large fountain. In the center of it was a group of golden statues. Three of them, a centaur, a goblin, and a little elf looked up adoringly at the other two statues, those of a witch and wizard. Jets of water were coming out of the two wands held by the witch and wizard, the point of an arrow held by the centaur, the tip of the goblin's hat, and the points of the elf's ears.

Gerald and Ronald left the booth, and began to make their way down the hall. Ronald looked around. "Gareth... are those what witch and wizards wear? Those robes?" He asked, pointing.

Gareth nodded. "It is kid, and you'll probably have to wear something similar at Hogwarts."

Ronald pouted. "But how can they fight in those? They'd just get in the way."

Gareth chuckled. "You'll just have to find out later."

They made their way down the hallway, until they reached the security desk. A somewhat portly wizard in peacock blue robes sat there, reading a newspaper called the Daily Prophet. Gareth strolled up.

"We're here for an appointment with the Minister of Magic," he said. The wizard looked up, and raised an eyebrow at their strange garb.

"You have an appointment with Minister Fudge?" He asked, unconvinced.

Gareth grinned. "That's right, concerning a Mr. Harry Potter."

The wizard froze, and his eyes shot to the young boy next to Gareth. "Is... that..."

Gareth shook his head. "My ward, Ronald McConnor. Now, Minister Fudge, please?"

The wizard nodded, and quickly beckoned another wizard in peacock blue robes. That wizard, froze, glanced at the pair, and then nodded. The first one turned back to them. "Please follow him," he said breathlessly.

They both followed him through the security gate, and into a hallway with rows of grille fences for lifts. The wizard led them into one, and quickly closed it before anyone else could get on. "Urgent. Use another one," he said to a witch, who was complaining about being cut off. The wizard hit a button, and the lift headed upwards, bypassing several levels.

As the elevator stopped, the cool female voice rang out. "Level one. Executive offices, and the office of the Minister of Magic."

Here they were escorted out, and quickly down a very neat and carpeted hallway. The walls were lined with moving portraits, and various doors with name plates on them.

They eventually reached the end, where the hallway opened up. A witch sat at a desk outside a golden door, humming as she wrote something out with a quill pen. She looked up as the panting security wizard approached. "Wilkens, is something wrong?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

The security wizard took a deep breath. "These two are here for a meeting with Minister Fudge... about Harry Potter."

The secretary witch's eyes widened, and she quickly stood up. "One moment please." She turned, and after a hurried knock, entered the Minister's room. Not a minute later, she was back out. "The Minister will see you now."

Gareth grinned, as they headed inside.

The office of the Minister was well furbished. There was a fireplace, a couple of bookcases along the wall, and several portraits of the previous Minister's. A large desk was near the wall opposite the door, with two chairs in front of it.

Behind the desk, Cornelius Fudge stood. He was somewhat short and portly, with rumpled gray hair, and business like robes. He anxiously smiled, as he came over, and shook Gareth's hand. "Welcome, welcome, Mr..."

"Wallace, Mr. Fudge, Gareth Wallace. And this is my ward," he said. Fudge shook the young boy's hand as well.

"It's good to meet you both. Please, sit, sit." Fudge waited for them to sit, before moving behind his desk. 'Now, umm.. I understand you are here concerning young Harry Potter?"

Gareth nodded. "Yes, I am. But I sense you wish for me to wait." He had noticed Fudge eyeing the fireplace.

"Yes, actually, if it concerns Harry. There is someone I feel who deserves to be here for this. Someone with a great interest in the boy, and who has been looking for him for a long time."

Before they could speak, the fire roared up, and turned green. And from it stepped the tall form of Albus Dumbledore. His twinkling blue eyes swept the room, pausing on the young boy seated in front of the Minister's Desk. "Cornelius. I came as soon as I got your Floo," he said as she stepped forward, his blue robes rustling, and his half moon glasses twinkling.

Cornelius nodded. "Yes, Dumbledore. Sorry about the short notice, but these gentlemen here arrived unexpectedly, and mentioned Harry, and well... you know." He said anxiously, returning to his own seat.

Gareth nodded. "Yes. I came here to talk about young Potter. Or rather... his current whereabouts."

Immediately, the air crackled with tension, as Dumbledore straightened. "You know where he is?"

Gareth nodded. "I should, considering it was me who took him off the Dursely's doorstep all those years ago. And before you hex me," he added quickly, as Dumbledore went for his wand, "I meant no harm to Harry. Rather, I had nothing but good intentions. But in order to explain, I must tell you some other things first."

Dumbledore remained tense, even as he slid his wand back into the pocket of his robes. Cornelius, who was sweating, nodded for Gareth to continue. Gareth slowly stood.

"First off, let me tell you all who I am, exactly. I am Gareth Wallace, Master Battle Mage of the Battle Mage Sanctuary for the United Kingdom." He pulled out a small ring, with an emblem on it. It was a sword, surrounded by symbols for fire, water, air, earth, and lightning. He slipped it onto his ring finger, as he continued. "The Battle Mages are a secret organization that has been around before even Wizards and Witches existed. We have been safeguarding the most ancient and powerful of magicks since the dawn of magic wielders."

Dumbledore's eyes widened, while Fudge looked confused. "I... I'm afraid I'm confused. Battle Mages? I've never heard of them."

Gareth smirked. "Allow me to explain. Magic is as old as this planet is. Some of the early humans managed to tap into it, and they became the first magic users. Usually, their powers didn't go beyond healing, or being able to see things that others couldn't. They became shamans, wise men, or druids for the tribes and clans. Others had greater powers though, and they were like deities. The ancient Greek, Norse, and Egyptian deities? They are tales of ancient magic wielders, blown out of proportion."

"As time went on, many more magic wielders appeared. Most were skilled in harnessing and using the most primal of magic, the ability to manipulate the very elements. These were the first mages, or Magus, as we call them. For most of the Ancient part of Earth's history, they dominated the world of magic, often aiding their countries in battle, leading to the creation of the Battle Mage. Often, the greatest Mages were on the councils for kings and Emperors. But that's not to say other magicks didn't exist. It was a young Anglo magic wielder named Merlin who began refining magic, and using it in ways the old Magus could never understand. He was the first real Wizard."

The Minister and Dumbledore sat there, in rapt silence, as Gareth continued. "He spent decades studying magic, altering it and using it to create new spells, ones channeled through a staff or wand. He began creating magic spells that did more than simply alter the course of a battle. Soon, he began spreading his teachings, and more and more wizards and witches appeared. Eventually, magic was split into two different schools: The Magic of the Magus, and The Magic of the Wizards."

"Unfortunately, the non magical people began to fear the power they once held in awe. Religions and superstitions began to turn them against magic. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the last control slipped away, and the Dark Ages began. As you know, Merlin taught his followers to hide their abilities, so they could still live amongst their neighbors. He quickly sided with the young King Arthur, and from there, was able to begin establishing a new order and home. For the Magus, things became different. We Magi cannot simply hide our powers, like the Witches and Wizards can. So instead, the great Elders of the Mages divided those Mages who had escaped amongst themselves, and started secret Sanctuaries throughout the world. There, they honed their skills, and watched over their countries."

Gareth sat back down, amidst silence. No one spoke for several moments, before Dumbledore spoke up. "I had heard rumors... ancient stories of these... Magi... but I never knew they were true."

Gareth nodded. "They are... or aren't, depending on what you've heard. For the most part, Mages are simple to understand. Our magical powers are primarily focused on manipulating or conjuring elements to our advantage. However, we're also skilled in metallurgy, alchemy, potion brewing, herb lore, and rune stones. Lastly, each Battle Mage is also skilled in a hand to hand weapon."

Fudge began to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Ermm... rather.. Impressive... but... what does all this have to do with Harry Potter, and you taking him from the Dursely's doorstep?"

Gareth nodded. "I've come to that. You see, around fifty years ago, one of the Elders in a Sanctuary in Italy discovered, and translated an old text he found, written in the ancient language of the Magus. It spoke of a prophecy, of a time where the worlds of magic and non magic would be shrouded in darkness, that threatened to engulf and destroy all. It also spoke of a young champion, who would lead both forms of magic back together, and destroy this darkness. A boy who was born in the waning of the summer season, whose mother was a beautiful flower, his father a proud warrior."

Gareth smile became sad. "We kept our eye out for any such child. And find one we did. Two children were born late in the month of July, the beginning of the end of summer. Both had proud warriors for dads, as both their father's were... aurors? I believe that is what you call them. But only one had a beautiful flower for a mother."

"Lily Evans," Dumbledore whispered, understanding crossing his face.

Gareth nodded. "Yes. Lily Evans. Her son is the one who was prophesied long ago to be the champion of Mage and Wizard alike. Harry Potter is the Chosen One... and that is why I took him, to begin his training in the Magus arts."

Dumbledore tilted his head down a bit, looking over his glasses. "Well, I can see the value of that, but... why did you not come forward with this information before? Why did you just take Harry?"

Gareth sighed, as he held his hands out to the side. "Would you have believed me if I had come up to you, and told you what I've just told you? Or would you have believed me a supporter of your Lord Voldemort?"

Dumbledore slowly nodded. "I see your point. But still, I must ask that you present Harry, so I know he is all right."

Gareth smiled. "Ask him yourself." He pointed to his companion, who slid his sunglasses down, revealing emerald green eyes. He also pulled his hood down, revealing his messy black hair, and a thin lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Both Fudge and Dumbledore were shocked, as Harry waved. "Hi."

Dumbledore blinked. "So, it was a deception, as I thought," he said softly.

Gareth nodded. "I knew that we would never get to the Minister in one piece, if everyone knew it was Harry with me. Sorry for the deception."

Fudge sputtered, but stopped as Dumbledore approached Harry. "... Gareth... how can I be sure this is Harry Potter? For all I know, you've disguised someone as him."

Gareth chuckled. "I believe you have something for causing someone to tell the truth. Harry and I will gladly submit to this."

Fudge nodded. "Yes. Veritaserum. I'm sure that for a situation like this, it would be acceptable to use it," he said, as he called his secretary.

Within minutes of the request, a witch in dark green robes entered with a vial of clear liquid. Fudge indicated Gareth and Harry, who both nodded. She came over, and carefully administered two drops to each of them.

Dumbledore waited a moment, and then came over to Harry. "Are you Harry James Potter, born on July 31st, 1989?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I am. I am Harry James Potter, Apprentice of the United Kingdom Battle Mage Sanctuary."

Dumbledore slowly nodded. "Did you willingly join the Battle Mages?"

"Yes. Gareth has been like a father to me, raising me since I was brought there by him. He has taught me much," Harry intoned.

Dumbledore turned to Gareth. "Is what everything you told Minister Fudge and myself true?"

Gareth nodded. "Absolutely," he said in the same monotone. "The Battle Mages seek to ally with the Ministry, to deal with whatever threat is coming."

Dumbledore sighed softly. "Minister, they are telling the truth."

Fudge slowly nodded. "I see. Though I'm not sure I like it. What darkness are they talking about?"

Dumbledore turned to him. "I do not know. Though I do have a theory. But I cannot trust it, not yet. Whatever it is, it must be bad. Minister, I think it might be a good idea to bring this up before the Wizengamont, and if they accept it, then you might want to call a meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards."

"Yes... yes... it will take time, and we'll need the ranking members of these Battle Mages to do so." He turned, and began looking some files in his desk. "For now, I think you should take care of them. I will submit a form for a meeting of the Wizengamont later today." He said.

Dumbledore nodded as he gave both Harry and Gareth an antidote. When they both shook off the stupor, he nodded to them both. "Harry has been registered for Hogwarts since his birth. But if you'll follow me, I will get you a list of what he'll need for the school year."

Gareth stopped him. "I have a request. I'd also like to register my son, Travis, for Hogwarts. He's a year younger then Harry."

Dumbledore blinked, before smiling, his eyes twinkling. "I'm sure we can fit him in."

He led them out, while Fudge nervously wiped his forehead. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" He asked, before searching through his desk again. "Well, it doesn't matter. Allying with these Mages are sure to earn me a boost in approval ratings. Especially if they do have some rare artifacts." He smiled at the thought, as he went back to work.

_Battle Mage Sanctuary, 3 days later_

Harry Potter stretched softly, as he sat in one of the many training halls of the Sanctuary.

The Battle Mage Sanctuaries were simple in design, though each varied due to their location, and the nationalities. The Sanctuary located in Scotland was built underground, with a cave guarding the main entrance, and the other being underwater.

The Sanctuaries were several stories high, usually consisting of giant halls that were open up to the ceilings, with stone walkways that crossed from one side to the other. The lower levels were filled with training rooms, armories and blacksmiths, libraries, potion brewing rooms, and rune rooms, where rune stones were made and tested.

The levels above held the rooms for the mages, as well as meditation rooms, a pair of amphitheaters, and the room of the Elders.

Harry slowly picked up the brown cloak that denoted his rank in the Mages for the past five years. Brown represented the level of Apprentice, of those who had started the training of the Mages. Above them were the blue clad Acolytes, black clad Disciple, red clad Masters, and the white clad Elders.

He slowly placed his cloak around his shoulders, and then picked up his wooden training sword, the only weapon Apprentices were allowed to use. He took a deep breath as he left his room, stopping as he saw two figures waiting outside the room. He smiled, as the smaller one stepped forward. "Hey Travis."

Travis Wallace grinned. "Hey big bro! Ready to go?" Travis Wallace was Gareth's son, who had been born a few months after Harry had been brought to the Sanctuary.

Travis took after his dad in appearance, though his brown hair had a red tint to it, and his eyes were bright blue, in comparison to his father's dull green.

Harry looked to Gareth, who was clad in his dark red cloak with gold lining and trim. "How are we going to get there? I don't think muggles will really appreciate us in cloaks and with swords, so I know we're not getting on the train."

Gareth grinned. "Didn't I tell you? We got a message last night. The Wizengamont finished their discussions, and after talking with the Elders from here, came to a decision. By majority vote, they agreed to ally with us. And because of that, our Sanctuary has been added to the... Floo network? I think that's what it is. Of course, we made sure to set up special rune stones to keep unwanted people out. So, we're going that way."

Harry blinked. "Wow... okay then," he said, grinning.

The three of them went to one of the libraries, which had fire places in them. When Travis and Harry asked about this, Gareth smiled. "Well see, we're using these rooms until we set up a room for the sole purpose of Floo travel. For now, this will have to do."

They entered, and Gareth blinked as he looked at a pot of sparkling dust. He sighed softly, as he took some out. "Okay. From what I understand, you just throw it into the fire, and say where you want to go. Make sure to be clear about it."

With a mutter of 'I hope this works', Gareth threw his handful of powder into the flames. They turned green, and he entered. He coughed, before shouting out, "Gringotts!"

He disappeared with a whoosh. Both Travis and Harry blinked, and looked at each other, before pointing. "You first."

Gareth coughed as he landed on his hands and knees. He spat out some ash before standing up. He stumbled out just as the fireplace flared up again, leaving Harry coughing and stumbling out as well. Travis soon followed, except he fell. "What the heck is wrong with these people?" He gasped out.

Gareth looked up, only to find they were being stared at by witches, wizards, families, and many goblins. He waved his hand. "Don't mind us. Just never used a Floo before." He said, as he stood up.

A goblin came over as Travis and Harry recovered. "May I help you, Sir?"

Gareth nodded, as he bowed. "May your hearth burn warmly, and your vaults stay filled." He said. The goblin blinked, and bowed back.

"May your blade stay sharp, and your kin remain safe. You know the formal greeting of goblin kind," he stated, surprised.

Gareth smiled. "I thought it respectful. Now, if you would be so kind, we're here to withdraw money from Mr. Potter's account. Here is his key." He held it up, and the goblin nodded.

"Very good. If you'll follow me please." He said, as the goblin turned, and led them past a row of desks and onto a stone platform. A rail system ran in front of them.

The goblin whistled, and a rail cart with no driver appeared. "Please enter the vehicle, and try to keep yourselves inside until we stop."

They all piled in, and the goblin touched the cart. It started off down the track.

The three mages inside the cart looked around in wonder, as they passed caverns and underground waterfalls. Harry blinked, as for a moment, he saw a dragon. "Excuse me, Mr... uhh..."

"Griphook. My name is Griphook," the goblin said.

"Do you have dragons down here, Mr. Griphook?" Harry asked. Griphook chuckled darkly.

"If you ever decide to try and rob Gringotts, you'll find out for yourself," he said with a grin. Harry and Travis trembled slightly.

Eventually, the cart began to slow down, before it stopped outside a vault. Griphook got out, and when they had as well, held out his hand. "Key please?"

Gareth handed it over, and Griphook unlocked the vault. All three of their eyes went wide, as they beheld mountains upon mountains of gold, silver and bronze coins.

Harry slowly stumbled in. "What are they?" He whispered.

Griphook smiled. "The gold ones are Galleons, silver are Sickles, and bronze are Knuts. There are twenty-nine Knuts to one Sickle, and seventeen sickles to one Galleon. Which means that four hundred and ninety-three Knuts equals one Galleon."

Harry blinked, and looked at him. "And all this is mine?"

Griphook nodded. "Yes. It was set aside for you, to get you through your seven years of Hogwarts, and a bit afterwards. The vault that belonged to your mother and father is unfortunately sealed, with instructions that you do not receive its contents until your seventeenth birthday."

Harry stopped, and then nodded. "Right," he said softly, as he began to gather coins into a money bag.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them stepped out of Gringotts. Harry turned back, looking at the marble white building. Then he looked around at the busy street, lined with buildings. "Wow."

Gareth nodded. "Yeah. All right Harry, what do we need to get?"

Harry blinked, and then pulled out a letter he had been given by Dumbledore. "M'kay... I'm going to need to get a bunch of books, some clothes, a wand, a cauldron, phials, a telescope, a set of brass scopes, and I can have an owl, toad, or cat familiar."

Gareth nodded. "Okay. Let's get all the essentials first, and worry about a familiar later. Especially since you all ready have Blaze."

The three of them headed first into a shop called Madame Malkins, which sold robes for all occasions. A short, squat witch smiled as they entered. "Are they here for Hogwarts?" She asked.

Gareth indicated Harry. "Only him. This one's not till next year." He ruffled Travis's head through his cloak hood.

Harry slowly removed his cloak and sword, and stood on a stool. Madame Malkin pulled a long black robe over him, and began to pin it onto him. About a half hour later, she presented him with three black robes, a pair of dragon leather gloves, and a black cloak with silver fastenings.

They continued down the street, buying everything else, until he needed his books, wands, and a familiar. Harry looked up, as they arrived at Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore. He looked at Gareth, who chuckled. "Nice name."

They entered, and gaped at all the books. "Wow... that's a lot of books," Harry said.

Gareth grinned. "Let's go wild."

Harry grinned, as he headed to one side, examining the books on the shelves. He was so enthralled he didn't notice the figure coming at him. There was a thud, and two "oof's".

Harry managed to catch himself, but the other person wasn't as lucky. There was a female squeak, as a young red head landed on her rear. "Owww... hey watch where you're going!"

Harry quickly held out his hand. "Sorry. I was just amazed at all these books, and I wasn't looking."

The girl in front of him grumbled, as she took his hand. "Yeah, well you should be more careful," she muttered. She was about to say more, when a older sounding female voice echoed through the store. "Ginny Weasley, where are you?"

The red haired girl glanced at Harry, then turned and walked off. Harry watched her.

"..." He shrugged, and went back to looking for his books.

Within half an hour, the trio stood before the wand store on the street. "Ollivander's," Travis said, looking over the sign, "Maker of Fine Wands since 382 BC. Kinda shabby looking."

Harry shrugged. "Well, let's get this done."

They entered the store, which was lined with boxes upon boxes. It was quiet, and immediately they all felt that talking would be wrong.

"I was wondering when you would come." They all jerked in surprise, as an old man seemed to appear out of nowhere before them. He was looking at Harry. "I've been expecting you for some time. Though I am a bit surprised. You seem... different then what I was anticipating. I am Mr. Ollivander."

Harry shivered ever so slightly, as Ollivander moved to the boxes. "It seems like it was only yesterday I was in here helping your parents choose their wands. Your father had a mahogany wand. Eleven inches, very pliable, and good for Transfiguration. Your mother seemed to prefer a willow wand, ten and a quarter inches long. Good for charm work, much like her."

Ollivander opened a box, and glanced at Harry's forehead. "And I will never forget that one... the wand that gave you that scar."

"Voldemort's," Harry whispered.

Gareth blinked as he thought back to a conversation he had with Dumbledore at the Ministry.

_Flashback_

_Dumbledore had pulled Gareth aside before he and Harry had left the Ministry. "If you wouldn't mind... I would like to know how much you have told Harry about his past and the prophecies?"_

_Gareth sighed. "We've told him what we know about his parents, which isn't much. Mostly just_ _things we could learn from friends. But it's not a whole lot. However... concerning Voldemort and the Magus prophecy... he knows everything."_

_Dumbledore sighed softly. "Why? He is a child. He should not be burdened with such things."_

_Gareth shook his head. "I disagree, and so did our Elders. We have trained him, and we decided he deserved to know exactly what his life had in store for him. He was shaken, I will admit. But he has already started to accept his role, and it has not changed him, except making him more determined to become the best he can be. You should have more faith in him."_

_Flashback ends_

Ollivander nodded. "Yes. Yew, thirteen and a half inches. Very powerful... and in the wrong hands... deadly." He held out the box in his hands. "Every single one of my wands has a core, created by combining very powerful substances. We use unicorn hair, phoenix feathers, and dragon heartstrings. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, phoenixes, or dragons are the same. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstrings._"_

Harry touched the wand, and immediately pulled back. "No... nothing. I felt nothing."

Ollivander nodded approvingly. "You apparently have a better understanding of magic then I anticipated. Good. Now this, maple and phoenix feather."

Harry touched it, and again shook his head.

Slowly, the pile of discarded wands grew. Again and again, each wand wasn't right. Harry grew frustrated, while Travis watched, curious. "Mr. Ollivander? What exactly are you looking for?" He asked.

Ollivander chuckled. "Ahhh, my young boy. That is the great mystery. You see, there is no way for me to know which is the right wand for young Mr. Potter here. Wands are not chosen. They do the choosing. It is an unexplained phenomenon of magic, my boy."

He stopped, as his hand rested on one box. "...perhaps." He whispered, as he came over with it. "Holly and phoenix feather. 11 inches. Nice and supple. Try it."

Harry touched it, and his eyes widened. He gripped it, and picked it up. Almost immediately, a powerful aura surrounded him. His cloak began to billow around him, as his hand shook slightly, holding the wand.

Gareth, Travis, and Ollivander looked in awe as the aura settled, and his cloak returned to normal. Harry grinned. "This is the one." He whispered.

Ollivander nodded. "I thought so. Such a strange occurrence." He said, as he took the wand, put it back in its box, and wrapped it. Travis blinked.

"Why is it strange, Mr. Ollivander?" He asked. The old wand maker turned to him.

"I remember every wand I've ever made and sold. The phoenix who gave the feather for this wand gave one other feather. A feather that I put into a wand I sold many years ago... to the one who gave Mr. Potter that scar."

Everyone was silent, as Ollivander nodded. "Yes... your wand, Mr. Potter, shares a connection with that of one of the most powerful Dark Wizards in history."

* * *

**And this seems like a good place to end.**

**Okay. So, this is the first chapter of the first story in a 7 part series. I know many of you who will first see this will probably be my Naruto fans. Don't worry, I'm going to be doing the same thing here that I was doing between Demon Dragon Rider, and Wizard of Kitsune. The main difference is, I'll be much faster this time.**

**For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, let me warn you ahead of time. This will eventually be a Harry/Ginny pairing. If you can't stand that pairing, you've been warned.**

**I hope you all have enjoyed my first Harry Potter fanfic, and I'll definitely try to update as quickly as I can. Constructive Criticisms would be greatly enjoyed, but I will be ignoring all flamers, so you've been warned. I respect your opinion if you think my story sucks. But I'd greatly appreciate it if you simply kept that to yourself, instead of trying to put me down about it.**

**I'd also like to give thanks to my two spectacular Betas, Kyuubi123, and Door1531. Give them a big hand.**


	2. Of Trains and Hats

**I'm surprised at how many of you enjoyed my first chapter. Especially since a lot of the fans were also some of my more ardent Naruto fans.**

**Diehard Harry Ginny Leaf Ranger: I'm just glad you finally started these!**

**LR: Oh bite me. You were too annoying.**

**DHGLR: *Sticks tongue out***

**LR: Anyways, here we go. **

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Of Trains and Hats**

Harry looked out the window of one of the several cars used by the battle mages. Unlike their wizard brethren, the mages had moved with the times in some areas. Due to their limited means of magical transportation, one of those moves was the purchasing of several cars and bikes.

Next to him was a pair of cages. One held a snowy white owl that Harry had gotten at Diagon Alley. After perusing his school books, he had finally named her Hedwig.

The other cagewas larger, containing a male red tail hawk that had been imported from the American Battle Mage Sanctuary. It was a curious one, as its red tail feathers were almost orange red, giving him his name Blaze. He was Harry's personal familiar, and had been trained to protect Hedwig while she delivered mail from Hogwarts to the Battle Mage Sanctuary, and vice versa.

Next to the cages was Travis who looked out the window in awe. Travis couldn't help but be amazed at all the buildings after being cooped up in the forests around the Sanctuary.

Gareth was in the front seat, driving. Next to him was his wife, a beautiful red haired woman, named Marian Wallace. Marian had actually been part of the Sanctuary in America, until she transferred to the United Kingdom for additional training. She never left, as she fell in love with Gareth, who had been one of her sparring partners.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the event that had taken place not two days ago.

_**Flashback**_

_Harry gulped as he waited outside a pair of massive wooden doors. Beyond them was the room that the Elders of the Sanctuary met in. _

_Gareth had brought him there before disappearing inside. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know that it had to be serious, or bad. _

_One of the doors slowly creaked open, and Gareth stepped out. "Come Harry."_

_Harry slowly entered and dropped to one knee, bowing to the five Elders before him. Each wore the pure white robe of their rank, and was seated or standing behind a half circle stone table._

_Three of the Elders were humans, the fourth a goblin, and the last was a centaur. Each was the most respected, skilled, and powerful of the United Kingdom Mages._

_The spokesperson of the elders stood. "Rise, Apprentice Potter."_

_As Harry stood, he continued. "We have been watching your progress in learning the skills and abilities of the Battle Mages. We also have taken into consideration your enrollment in Hogwarts. And that is why we have decided to promote you from Apprentice to Acolyte."_

_Harry's eyes widened. "E-Elders... are... are you sure? I'm still young, and have much to learn."_

_The centaur elder smiled, as he shifted. "You are humble. Good. But do not think we have made this choice lightly, Harry. Few are made Acolyte at your age. We believe you to be ready."_

_Harry slowly nodded, as Gareth approached, carrying a sheathe and a dark blue cloak. He nodded to Harry, who slowly removed his brown Apprentice cloak, and the wooden training sword. _

_Gareth smiled happily as he placed the blue cloak around Harry's shoulders. Now that it was unfolded, Harry could see it had lighter blue trimming the edges. _

_Gareth slowly held out the sheathed sword, which Harry reverently took with both hands. His hands traced the dark blue scabbard, before running over the hilt. He gripped it, and unsheathed the sword slowly._

_It was a Scottish basket hilted claymore. The inside of the basket guard was lined with blue velvet. The outside of it held notches, where rune stones could be placed. _

_Harry's eyes watered slightly, as he sheathed it. Gareth held out one final pair of items. It was a pair of hardened leather bracers, with more notches for rune stones._

_As Harry took them, Gareth smiled. "Congratulations." _

_Harry looked at the elders and bowed to them, before hugging Gareth._

_**Flashback ends**_

Gareth parked the car outside King's Cross train station. Harry slowly got out, looking around the bustling area. Travis went to get a luggage cart, while Harry and Gareth unpacked his trunk and the two familiar's cages.

Marian smiled, as she ruffled Harry's hair. "I can't believe you're leaving for most of an entire year. It will be quiet without you and Travis trying to beat each other and pranking us."

Harry smiled, as he hugged his mother figure. "I know, but don't worry. I might take Christmas break to come home."

Marian smiled, as they all walked into the station. Harry looked at the letter telling him where he was supposed to go. "Okay... we need to find Platform 9 and 3/4."

Gareth nodded. "Dumbledore told me about it, considering we had no past experience. It's the barrier between platforms Nine and Ten."

When they got there, Harry was surprised when he saw a familiar person. The red haired girl from Flourish and Blotts was tugging on a red haired women's arm. They were watching a lanky boy around Harry's age walk towards a barrier between Platform's Nine and Ten. A crowd of people obscured him from view, and then he was gone.

Harry nodded. "There." He said, pointing to where the girl and her mom were disappearing. Marian smiled as she took Travis and entered.

Harry and Gareth soon followed, arriving on a new platform that was crowded with families seeing their children off to Hogwarts. Harry whistled in amazement.

"And to think, it's all hidden right here in the middle of this train station." He said.

He and Gareth quickly found an empty compartment about three quarters of the way down the train. They put his luggage and both Hedwig and Blaze inside before Harry came out to say a final good bye.

Travis hugged him, looking a little sad and scared. "I'm going to miss you, Harry."

Harry smiled, hugging him back. "Don't worry Travis. I'll be back before you know it. Besides, you'll be coming next year, remember?"

Travis nodded, and pulled back. Marian came up next and hugged him, kissing his forehead as she did. "Be safe Harry. You know me and Travis would be upset if anything happened to you."

"I will mom." He said, smiling.

Gareth shook his hand, before ruffling his hair. "Don't give the other students too much trouble. Remember, they probably won't know much about mages for a couple years now."

Harry nodded. "Thanks. I'll remember."

There was a final round of hugs, and then Harry boarded the train. From his compartment, he waved good bye as the train began to pull out of the station. And then they were gone.

Harry looked down, feeling very alone for the first time in his life. He sighed softly as he stood and rummaged through his trunk for a second. He finally pulled out a book with Scandinavian runes on the front. But just as he cracked it open, a round faced boy slowly opened the compartment door.

"Umm... hi... do you mind if I sit in here?" The boy asked nervously, clutching a toad.

Harry shook his head, smiling at the boy. "Please, come in. I could actually use some company right now."

The boy quickly sat down, smiling shyly. "Thanks. I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom."

Harry nodded. "And I'm Harry Potter."

Neville froze, and his eyes glanced to Harry's forehead, where the small lightning bolt shaped scar was. "You... you're Harry Potter?" He whispered.

Harry blinked, and then laughed. "I keep forgetting that in the Wizarding World, I'm some big famous hero. Yeah, I'm him, but don't jump to conclusions on me just yet."

Neville slowly nodded. "R-Right. Sorry. It's just... well... everyone knows about you. You're the one who defeated... well... You-Know-Who."

Harry's smile faded a bit. "I didn't defeat him... I don't know what happened, but I was just a baby. I couldn't have defeated a half dead spider if I wanted to. I don't know what happened, but... I just consider myself somewhat lucky." He put his book aside.

Neville's eyes lowered. "Sorry... I didn't mean to offend you."

Harry waved his hand. "You didn't, trust me. I'm just... I just don't want you thinking I'm some type of big-shot, or something. I'm just a regular guy, who happened to have something happen to me that made me famous."

Neville nodded, as he held his toad. It seemed to be squirming a bit, trying to escape. Harry looked at him. "So, that toad your familiar?" He asked.

Neville nodded. "Yeah. He's Trevor. My Great Uncle Algie got him for me, when I was accepted. What about you?"

Harry pointed up to the luggage rack, where Hedwig softly hooted, and Blaze simply slept. Neville's eyes widened. "You have two?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. Hedwig is my owl, got her a few weeks ago at Diagon Alley. But I've had Blaze for almost two years now."

Neville just slowly nodded, as he looked back down. They were silent for a few minutes, before Harry spoke up. "So Neville, you looking forward to Hogwarts?"

Neville nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah... I... I really can't wait to study Herbology. I... well... I'm really into plants." He mumbled.

Harry grinned. "Really? That's cool! My guardians had me study herb lore and stuff ever since I was five."

Neville's eyes widened. "Since you were five?"

Harry nodded. "I wonder if they have any of the plants I've studied at Hogwarts."

Neville smiled a bit easier. "I've heard Hogwarts has one of the largest set of green houses in all of Europe. They have almost one of every kind of plant there."

Harry's grin widened. "Excellent."

The tension gone, Harry and Neville were able to chat a bit more easily. Eventually, their talk turned towards the primary Wizarding sport.

"So, this Quidditch game consists of seven people on a team. There are three Chasers, who use a ball called the Quaffle to try and score on the other team's hoops. The Keeper for each team tries to block them. Meanwhile, two players called Beaters use bats to try and stop balls called Bludgers from hitting their teammates. And lastly, a player called the Seeker tries to find a tiny gold ball called the Golden Snitch? And they win 150 points for doing so?" Harry asked.

Neville nodded, as he stroked Trevor's back. The toad had made a bolt for it earlier, only to be caught by Harry. Harry had showed Neville a different way to hold Trevor, and the toad practically fell asleep in Neville's hands.

"I still can't believe you have never heard of Quidditch before." Neville said. Harry chuckled, as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What can I say? I've kinda been under a rock these past ten years." He chuckled some more, only to stop when the door opened again.

This time, there was a girl with bushy brown hair standing there, all ready in her Hogwarts outfit. She glanced around the compartment, before looking at them. "Do you two mind if I join you? Everyone else out there is being rude, or immature. And I really want some peace and quiet so I can get back to my reading."

Harry blinked, and looked at Neville. When he got a shrug in response, Harry nodded. "Sure, come in." He said, as he scooted over, grabbing his book. The girl's brown eyes landed on it, and widened.

"What is that? I don't remember a book like that being on the school list? Was it? I can't believe I missed a book!" The girl said, sounding frantic.

Harry shook his head. "No, no. It's one of my own books. I brought it to study."

The girl took a breath. "Oh thank goodness. I would never forgive myself if I missed a book. I'm just so nervous because I'm a muggle born, and have no idea what to expect. But I'm really excited and can't wait to get started learning lessons. I've already read all my books twice, and am reading _Hogwarts, A History_again. I can't wait to be sorted into a house. I'd really like to be in Gryffindor, but Ravenclaw doesn't sound bad either. By the way, my name is Hermione Granger."

Both boys stared at her for a few seconds, as the girl had been talking very fast, and without taking a single breath. When she shifted uncomfortably, they both shook their heads.

"Sorry. I'm Neville Longbottom."

"And I'm Harry Potter." Harry said. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Really? THE Harry Potter? I've read all about you! You're in a ton of books, like _Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

Harry nodded. "They're all true." He said jokingly. Hermione blushed lightly at this, as Harry sat back. "Though you can't expect to know someone through books alone, unless they're dead, then that's the only way." He said softly, thinking about his parents.

Hermione mistook it for a joke, and frowned. "Books can be very informative." She said. "I've yet to find a book that was unreliable, save for fairy tales and works of fiction."

Harry smiled at her. "Mostly, you're right. But some books can be biased by their authors. What if a person who didn't like the Ministry of Magic published a book that slandered it? Should his claims and insults be taken as true without researching them, or are they perhaps tainted by his feelings and opinions?"

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but then simply closed it, and 'humped', as she opened her book up and began to read. Harry and Neville chuckled lightly at this.

As time went on, they managed to coax her back out of her book, and the three of them talked some more. Harry had thus far kept the stories away from family, as he wasn't quite ready to tell them about his past and family yet.

As noon came around, an elderly witch came by with a cart full of food and snacks. "Anything from the cart dears?"

The three of them took a look, and Harry's eyes widened. "Wow." He whispered.

There were frogs made of chocolate, licorice wands, pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, and jelly beans called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, to name a few. They quickly made their purchases, and began eating, sharing with each other.

Harry unwrapped a Chocolate Frog, and blinked as he found a card under it. He pulled it out, his eyes scanning it. "Merlin? These some type of collectible cards?" He asked.

Neville nodded. "Yeah. You're pretty lucky, Merlin's extremely rare."

Harry looked back down at it. The picture was of an old man with a long white beard and hair. His eyes radiated warmth and comfort, as he smiled up at Harry. He was dressed in rather old style robes, with a hood pulled up on the top of his head. His smile widened, and he bowed his head slightly to Harry.

Harry grinned at this. "They move?" He asked.

Neville nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn't a picture move?"

Both Hermione and Harry laughed a little. Hermione explained. "In muggle pictures, the people stay still. They don't move at all."

Neville's eyes widened. "Really? Wow! That's so weird."

Their laughter was cut short by a scuffle in the hallway. Harry got up, and opened the door.

Outside, two rather large boys had the lanky red haired boy form the train station pinned against the wall. A smaller boy with blonde, almost platinum hair smirked as he waved a finger under the red haired boy's nose. "That was rather rude of you, Weasley. Trying to shove past your betters, when you should have waited for us to pass."

The boy growled. "Sod off, Malfoy! You're not my better!"

Malfoy smirked, as he looked to his companions. "Crabbe, Goyle. Perhaps you should teach this blood traitor some manners."

The two larger kids grinned, as their free hands balled into fists. But just as they were about to punch, their fists were caught.

"There's no need for that." Harry said quietly, as he held both fists. Everyone was shocked, before the boy named Malfoy snarled.

"You have no business here! Get out of the way." he said, reaching into his robes.

In an instant, Crabbe and Goyle had been knocked aside, and Draco was pinned to the compartment wall. Harry had the arm reaching into his robes pinned against the wall, while his other arm went across Malfoy's throat. "I don't know what your problem is, but you're going to back off, now. Understand?"

Malfoy slowly nodded, and Harry backed down. The blonde boy straightened his robes, before glaring at Harry. "This isn't over, whoever you are."

Harry shrugged. "That's your choice. Not mine."

Malfoy growled and snapped his fingers as he left. The two older boys followed behind.

Harry turned to the lanky red head. "You okay?"

The boy snapped. "I'm fine! I didn't need you to come along!" He yelled. Harry blinked.

"I was just trying to help." He said evenly. The red head growled.

"Well don't next time! I don't need someone to come save me!" The boy stormed off, and Harry sighed, as he came back into the compartment.

Hermione looked at him warily. "You shouldn't have done that, you know. You'll get in trouble before we even begin school!"

Harry smiled softly. "Maybe, but I can't stand bullies. They're the lowest of the low, cowards who can't deal with those who can fight back."

Neville smiled. "I thought it was cool! Especially how you caught their fists. You must be strong."

Harry grinned, while Hermione sighed. "Men."

The train continued on for hours. The countryside went from small towns to rolling hillsides to grassy plains, as the sky slowly became darker and darker.

At some point, Hermione had left to talk to the engineer. She returned, telling them that they'd be arriving soon and that they should change, before leaving to give them privacy.

Harry grumbled as he pulled his robes on. "Ughhh... how is anyone expected to do anything in these clothes? They're so restricting."

Neville just grinned ruefully and nodded, as they sat back down. A voice echoed through the train. "_We're about five minutes from the train station. Leave all luggage on the train. It will be taken up to the school later._"

Seven minutes later, Harry stood on the platform, watching the mass of young people mill about. He had left Hedwig in her cage but had released Blaze so that he could familiarize himself with the area. Blaze chirped form his shoulder, before taking off into the night air.

Harry was about to ask Neville what they should do now, when a loud voice echoed through the chaos. "Firs' years this way! Firs years over here! C'mon now!'

The duo turned to see a massive figure moving through the crowd, carrying a lantern. Harry's eyes widened. "Is he a giant?" He whispered to Neville.

"I... I don't think so... giants are supposed to be like twenty or more feet high." Neville gripped Trevor a little tighter, causing the toad to squirm.

The giant grinned at all the students who were starting to gather around him. "This way Furs' years! I'm Rubeus Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Follow me!" He turned and led them down a narrow stone path to a lake, and slowly around a curve. "There's yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts."

Everyone gasped as they arrived on a ledge near a giant lake. On the other side, perched atop a high mountain, was a massive castle. It's thousands of windows sparkled in the night from the torches and candles lightning the inside. Dozens of turrets and towers dotted the night sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid pointed to a small fleet of boats. He climbed into one, while the first years clambered in. Harry and Neville climbed into one, followed soon by Hermione and a girl with blonde pigtails.

The boats sailed forward on their own, moving swiftly across the lake. They reached the cliff, and everyone ducked under a curtain of ivy. The boats sailed through a dark tunnel, reaching an underground harbor. Harry was the first out of the boat, and offered a hand to Hermione, while Neville tried to help the blonde girl.

The students in the first boats gathered on the shore, allowing more to disembark. Hagrid checked the boats and nodded. "Al'right. C'mon you little tykes."

Hagrid led them up a flight of stone steps, and to a large wooden door. He knocked three times, and it was opened by a severe looking woman in emerald green robes. Her black hair was in a tight bun, and she gazed on the students through square rimmed glasses.

Hagrid nodded his head. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you Hagrid. I'll take them from here." She led the students into a massive entrance hall. To their left was a pair of massive wooden doors, the main entrance into Hogwarts. Opposite to that were the sounds of hundreds of students.

McGonagall led them past the entrance to the hall the students were in, and into an ante-chamber. She turned to them as they all entered. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Now before you're allowed to join your fellow students, you are going to be sorted into one of the various houses here at Hogwarts. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house will be like your family. You will have classes with your house, sleep in the same dormitories, and spend your free time in the common room. While you are here, you can earn house points for doing very well in class, or going above and beyond the call of duty. Rule breaking will result in a loss of points, as well as detentions and other punishments. By the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup. For now, please take this time to smarten up. The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly." She left the room, and the students began to talk.

Harry looked at Neville. "Any idea what this ceremony is?"

Neville shook his head. Nearby, Hermione was going on about all the spells she already knew, and which might help. She was silenced by the appearance of several ghosts, who floated by, arguing about some person or spirit named Peeves. The ghosts seemed to be deeply involved in their argument, as they didn't notice the students. They glided off through a wall.

All the students blinked and looked at each other, only to look back at the door as McGonagall entered. "Please, form a line and follow me."

They were led into the Great Hall, which was a massive affair. Thousands of candles floated above four long tables, where all the other students sat. At the other end of the hall was another long table, where all the teachers and staff were sitting.

McGonagall led them down the middle of the hall, and they all looked up in awe. The ceiling was obviously enchanted, as instead of a stone ceiling, they were looking at the night sky. They looked back down as they arrived near the end of the hall. They were all looking at a stool with a patched and frayed hat sitting on it. McGonagall picked it up.

"I will call you forward by name, and you will place the hat on your head. When it decides your house, please go and sit with them." She held up a list. "Abbot, Hannah!"

The blonde girl from Harry's boat walked up, and sat down. The hat was placed on her head. There was a few moments of silence, then a tear on the hat opened. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hannah quickly rushed to the table on the right, which was cheering. The next person, Susan Bones, also went to Hufflepuff. Terry Boot went to Ravenclaw, the table on the left.

More and more students went to the various tables. Hermione went to Gryffindor, and was eventually followed by Neville, who forgot to take the hat off. He had to run back and hand it to a Morag MacDougal.

Harry growled softly as the blonde boy form the train was called. _Draco Malfoy. So that's your name._

The hat barely touched his hair when it screamed "SLYTHERIN!"

Several more people were called, before Mcgonagall called out "Potter, Harry!"

Silence rippled through the room, as Harry strode forward, and sat on the stool. The last thing he saw was the amazement on most of the student's faces, before the hat's brim covered most of his vision.

"_Hmmm... you're a tricky one, young Potter... I can feel destiny weighing on your shoulders_. _But which house... you're courageous, clever, and hardworking... you have the makings of every house but Slytherin. And yet... there is also something deep in you... something that Slytherin would bring out. I actually find myself quite stumped, young Mr. Potter. So I guess I'll ask you where you would like to go?_"

Harry blinked and took a deep breath. _I guess I'd prefer to go where my potential friends are. Plus, my dad was in Gryffindor. Maybe I can learn more about him._

The Sorting Hat seemed to nod in approval. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table exploded in cheers, as Harry stood, placing the Sorting Hat back on the stool. He walked over, smiling as he shook Neville's hands. He blinked as two red headed twins shot up, shaking both his hands in an enthusiastic manner.

"Absolutely smashing to have you here! I'm Fred Weasley, andthis is George." One of them said.

The other smacked the back of his head. "You idiot! I'm Gred, and you're Forge!"

They both just smiled as they sat back down, and Harry blinked. "Nice to meet you both." He said, as he sat next to Neville.

The Sorting continued, as another red head, which was the oldest he had seen so far, leaned over. "A pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter. I'm Percy Weasley, a prefect of Gryffindor. Prefects are supposed to help keep the peace between houses and students. You've met my brothers Fred and George, who are both troublemakers. And that's my youngest brother, Ron." He pointed to the lanky red head Harry had saved on the train. Said boy was green, as he walked up to be sorted. Ten seconds later, he was announced as a Gryffindor, and staggered to the table.

Harry nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you to." He said, shaking Percy's hand. Meanwhile, the last of the Sorting took place, with Zabini, Blaise going to Slytherin. Harry looked up and down the table. There were golden plates and goblets in front of everyone, but the table was bare. He was about to ask Percy about it, when a voice drew his attention to the staff table.

Dumbledore had been sitting at the middle of the table, and now his eyes sparkled as he looked over the students. "Welcome one and all, to a new year of Hogwarts. Before we eat, I'd like to say a few words. Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak! Now dig in!"

Harry couldn't help but burst out laughing, which was covered by the sounds of cheering. "I-I-Is he serious?" He gasped out.

Percy smiled. "That's what makes him one of the best Professors and Headmasters of Hogwarts. He's able to bond with the students. Potatoes, Harry?"

Harry's eyes widened, as the plates were now full of all kinds of food. His mouth watered, as he nodded.

Further down the table, a sandy haired boy and Ron Weasley were talking to one of the ghosts from earlier. He was a distinguished looking gentleman, wearing a large ruff around his neck. The ghost looked cross for a moment, before tugging on one ear and causing his head to flop to one side. Harry blinked. "What happened to him?"

Fred leaned forward. "That's Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, but we all call him Nearly Headless Nick. Poor guy was executed with a blunt axe. It didn't manage to completely sever his head."

Harry just nodded weakly, as he began to eat.

Later, as desserts rolled around, Harry glanced up at the teacher's table. There was Hagrid, drinking deeply from a goblet, and talking to a tiny man in a pointy hat. Next to them, a dumpy witch with flyaway hair was talking to a woman in a nurse's outfit. There was a seat open, and then Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. There was another two seats open, and then a man in a purple turban was talking to a teacher in black robes with black greasy hair and a hooked nose.

Harry was looking at them. The turban wearing teacher had his head turned away. The black haired teacher nodded softly, and then looked past the professor at Harry. He winced in pain, as his scar suddenly ached.

Harry looked away, rubbing his head. "Hey Percy... who are those two teachers there?" He pointed to the last teachers he was looking at.

"Ahhh. Professor's Quirrell and Snape. Professor Quirrell teaches the Defense Against Dark Arts class. Professor Snape teaches Potions, though everyone knows he wants Quirrell's job."

Harry just nodded softly.

As the last of the food faded away from their plates, Dumbledore stood. The hall fell silent. "A few words before you go to bed, if you will. All First Years will be note that the forest on the grounds is off limits. A few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." His eyes seemed to sparkle in the direction of the Weasley twins, who whistled innocently.

"Mr. Flich, the caretaker, has also asked me to remind all students that magic in between classes is forbidden in the hallways. Quidditch tryouts begin the second week of term. If you're interesting in trying out for your houses' Quidditch team, contact Madame Hooch."

His eyes seemed to lose some of their sparkle. "Lastly, an announcement that concerns the entire school. The third floor corridor on the right hand side of the school is off limits to everyone. Please do not enter, unless you wish to experience a painful and horrible death."

Silence hung over the hall, as Harry looked to Percy. "Is this normal?"

Percy shook his head. "No, it's not. Something is up. Perhaps it has to do with the break in at Gringotts." When Harry gave him a blank look, Percy explained. "At the end of July, someone tried to break into Gringotts. First time in a long time since it's happened. What's worse is they got away. Luckily, it seems that they didn't get anything."

Dumbledore smiled, his previous good mood restored. "Now, time for bed! Off you trot."

Percy stood up. "First years, follow me! I'll lead you to the Gryffindor's common room!"

The first years, tired from food and the late hour, followed him. Most of them didn't notice anything, like the moving suits of armor, or the portraits that talked and moved from frame to frame. But they did notice the bundle of walking sticks, floating in midair. Percy stepped forward, only to have to dodge as one flew at him. "This is Peeves, a Poltergeist. Peeves, show yourself."

There was a loud raspberry, and another stick was flung at Percy. Percy dodged it again. "Peeves, do I need to get the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and Peeves appeared. He was a little man, with wicked looking eyes. He floated in mid air, chuckling evilly.

"Look it all the Ickle Firsties. More fun for me!" He swooped down at them, throwing another walking stick at Neville. Harry snatched it out of the air.

"Ooohhh, this one has spunk!" Peeves said, as he spun around, looking at Harry. "You wants to play with Peevesie?"

Harry held the walking stick, before spinning it. "Not really. I just didn't want anyone hurt."

Peeves cackled. "Naughty boy, for ruining my fun."

Percy growled. "Peeves, leave now, or the Baron will hear about this!"

Peeves stuck out his tongue and disappeared, dropping the sticks on the floor. He laughed as he flew away, rattling armor.

"Peeves is a menace. No one in this school can control him, save for the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin's ghost. Though I am impressed with what you did Harry." Percy led them further down the corridor they were in, not hearing Ron mutter 'show-off' under his breath. At the end was a human sized portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress. She raised her head as they approached.

"Password?" She asked, almost snobbishly.

Percy stepped forward. "Caput Draconis."

The lady nodded, and the portrait swung forward. "The password changes every month, with the new one being posted in the Common Room. Remember it, or you can't get access back in."

The Gryffindor Common Room was a large round room with dozens of armchairs, sofas, and tables. A fire blazed merrily at one side of the room.

Percy directed the girls up a spiral staircase, and the boys up another. The boys hiked up the stairs, before reaching a circular room that was obviously in one of the towers. The room had five four poster beds with deep red velvet curtains. All their luggage was all ready set up near their beds.

Too tired to talk, they got in their pajamas, and got into bed. Harry nodded to Neville, and closed his curtains. As he lay back on his bed, he smiled. _This might be more fun then I though._

* * *

**And end chapter. So... I ran a little long here, and I hope it doesn't detract from the chapter. I just really had a lot I wanted to cover this chapter.**

**As you may have noticed, Harry did not befriend Ron. I have a simple reason that was given to me by Door1530.** **If you have questions, let me know in your review. I'll answer if I can.**


	3. Potions and Flying and Dogs, Oh My!

**Several readers have been asking how close or far from canon my stories are going to be. **

**So, here's my response.**

**My stories are a mixture of canon and AU. **

**Basically, my first four Harry Potter fanfics follow the main events that happen** **in the books and movies, with changes to them due to Harry's new skills and mindset. I hope the changes I do make are big enough to appease you, the readers.**

**The fifth year is where the major shifts from canon will begin. Umbridge will still be there, but I plan to make things even more difficult for her. Not to mention** **something else that will happen in that year.**

**So I hope everyone sticks around to see what I have planned.**

**Also, for the sake of my sanity, Hagrid's words will be mostly normal, save for one or two. I nearly went crazy writing him the last chapter, and that was using the books for references! If I have to do my own lines for him, I'll be in a loony bin before long.**

**Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Potions and Flying and Dogs,**

**Oh My!**

Harry groaned as he rolled over in his bed, his green eyes opening to focus on the wind up alarm clock next to his bed. His eyes widened as they read the time.

_Ughhh...six in the morning? I slept too long. _He kicked his sheets off, as he slipped out of bed, and onto the floor. He stretched, working the kinks from his muscles and joints.

As he stood, he ran a hand through his messy black hair and walked over to the trunk at the foot of his bed. He knelt down and opened it, ruffling through its contents before pulling out a pair of toughened cargo pants, a black long sleeved shirt, and socks.

Five minutes later he came out of the bathroom, fully dressed. He began moving more things from his trunk, before reaching into the bottom of it. He reverently lifted his bracers, sword, and cloak from the trunk, and smiled, as he looked at them.

Twenty minutes later he was outside the castle, smiling at the grey light of morning. He stretched before sliding his bracers on. He secured them, then the sword belt with the sheathed sword in the scabbard around his waist. His cloak went on over all this.

One of the rules of the Battle Mages was you trained in the clothes you would wear when you fought. It didn't help you to train in comfortable training clothes, only to not be used to running or fighting in your regular Battle mage garb.

Harry stretched again, before beginning with a jog around the lake. The only noise around him was from the birds, and the constant thudding of his feet on the ground.

He ran three laps around the lake, which he estimated to be a mile and a half in circumference. In the last quarter of the third lap, he slowed his speed down. Eventually, he stopped at a clearing.

He smiled, panting lightly as he entered it and unsheathed his sword. He held it in front of him, gripping it with both hands as he raised it to the sky. Then he spun, swinging the sword in an arc.

For the next half hour, he continued the steady swings, slashes, and stabs, continually moving around the clearing.

Hagrid sighed as he headed off along the grounds, his boarhound Fang trotting faithfully behind him. He was going to check near the forest for any creatures that had stumbled out and died. Wouldn't do to have a student find something like that.

He stopped as he noticed a flash of light. He turned, gripping the crossbow he carried tighter.

His eyes widened, as he watched the blue cloaked figure train with the gleaming sword in their hands. He raised his crossbow up. "Hey yeh! Hold it right there!"

Harry froze and turned to look at the giant with the crossbow. He chuckled nervously as he slowly sheathed the sword. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle anyone, just getting some early morning training."

Hagrid slowly approached. "Who are yeh?" He asked, gripping the crossbow tighter.

Harry slowly lowered his hood. "Harry. Harry Potter." He said nervously, his eyes watching the three foot arrow in the crossbow. Even his most powerful earth based defense spell would be pierced by that thing. He was relieved when it was quickly moved away from him.

"Blimey... Harry? Little Harry?" Hagrid asked, his mouth turning to a grin behind his beard, as he saw the scar behind Harry's bangs. "It is you! I haven't seen you since you was a little baby!"

Harry blinked, as he looked at the giant of a man before him. "...Do I...know you?" He asked hesitantly.

Hagrid beamed as he came over. "I was the one who took you from your house after... well... after You Know Who disappeared. You was only a babe then." He finished sadly. He wiped a tear from his eyes. "Sorry... just... thinken about your parents... they was good folks, Harry."

Harry looked up at his face. "You... you knew them?"

Hagrid smiled. "Aye, I knew them. Best witch and wizard I ever knew, outside of Professor Dumbledore, o' course. Head Boy and Girl in their day, they were."

Harry grinned. "I... I haven't heard that much about them... the family... my family... they tried to get as much information as they could to tell me, but... it wasn't much."

Hagrid smiled. "Then I'll be glad to tell yeh what I know! Feel free to come down to me hut anytime yer free."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Sounds like a deal."

Hagrid chuckled. "Now, yeh best get back to the school. Breakfast is only ten minutes away."

Harry's eyes widened and cursed, as he ran off. "Thank you Hagrid!" He shouted, as he ran.

Hagrid shook his head, grinning as he returned to his work.

Harry was just inside the doors, when a voice reached his ears. "Ahhh, Mr. Potter. I'm glad I could run into you." Harry turned to the voice, which belong to Dumbledore.

"Good morning Professor." He said, bowing his head. Dumbledore chuckled.

"No need to be so formal with the bowing, young Harry. But I must admit, I'm curious as to what you were doing up so early. Most students would barely be getting up by now." He said, as his eyes looked Harry over.

Harry sheepishly shifted from foot to foot. "I...I was out training, Professor. Even if I'm here at school, I can't let my Mage training slacken."

Dumbledore nodded. "I quite agree. Though...I do have a concern...is that a real sword at your waist, Harry?"

Harry slowly drew it out, and handed it to Dumbledore. "It's the official sword used by the Battle Mages of the United Kingdom, Professor. Every Battle Mage who is ranked as an Acolyte or above carries one."

Dumbledore gently ran his hands over the blade. "It is very beautiful, Harry. But I'm concerned about you carrying a deadly weapon around the school. And I'm even more concerned that you are carrying a deadly weapon at all. They do only have one purpose... to kill."

Harry looked at Dumbledore, his gaze hardening slightly. "Professor...a Battle Mage only unsheathes his sword for two purposes. To train, or in the defense of himself or his friends and family. We do not use them to kill, but to protect. Gareth told me something his teacher imparted to him. He told me 'whenever you draw your blade, do not think about who you are fighting... think about who or what you're letting live'. I will do what I must to protect my friends and family. Can you ask me to do anything less?"

Dumbledore was struck dumb for a moment, before he let a small smile out, along with the twinkle in his eye. "I see you have wisdom greater than expected. Very well, Mr. Potter. If you can promise that you'll never raise this sword against another person here, except in absolute need, I'll let you keep it. But I advise you keep it locked where no one can find it."

Harry nodded, as he took his sword. "Thank you Professor. I promise this sword will not be used against anyone who doesn't deserve it." With that, he hurried off, while Dumbledore sadly watched him go.

Harry quickly dashed back to Gryffindor's common room. Luckily, it was still early, so he was able to slip back in without anyone noticing him. Twenty minutes later, he was in normal Hogwarts robes with the emblem of Gryffindor on the chest of the robe, as well as his name tag. He sighed as he went down to the Great Hall.

He quickly noticed that many students were stopping whatever it is they were doing and gaped at him as he walked past them. He rolled his eyes, as he entered the Great Hall, and it fell silent. He stood there, blinking, before walking to the Gryffindor's table, and sitting down near Neville. Neville smiled, and scooted over a bit to give him more room.

As Harry began eating, Professor McGonagall came by, passing out schedules. Harry took his, nodding at McGonagall before looking it over. "Hmmm... Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Potions... what no Ancient Runes?" He asked, looking up at Neville.

Across from them, Hermione piped up. "You don't get that class till Third Year. The first two years, students only cover the main basic classes."

Harry blinked, and then nodded. "Okay. So... we have Charms first today...wow... Charms." He said forcing enthusiasm.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's not as lame as it sounds. It's quite useful."

And it was. Charms was taught by a tiny little professor named Flitwick, who had to sit on a pile of books to see over his desk. He called roll on the first day and actually toppled off his desk in excitement when he reached Harry's name, causing a certain red head to scowl. When he calmed down, Flitwick introduced them to Charms, by summoning the book right off Hermione's desk and causing it to dance on his.

Each class proved to have something interesting. Well, almost every class. History of Magic was the only one taught by a ghost, named Professor Binns. You would think this would make the class more interesting, but it's hard to be interested in history when the teacher drones on about it. Harry found himself surprised that the bloody rampage made by over a thousand goblins in 1612 could be made to sound as interesting as watching drying paint. Only Hermione managed to stay awake and take notes.

Transfiguration was taught by the Gryffindor's Head of House, Professor McGonagall. After giving them a stern lecture of what she expected, and wouldn't tolerate, she transformed her desk into a pig, and back. Then she gave them a bunch of notes, followed by a match they needed to turn into a needle. By the end of class, Hermione had succeeded in making it silvery and pointy. Harry though wasn't far behind. His had become silvery, and the match head had narrowed.

Herbology was taught by the dumpy teacher with flyaway hair, known as Professor Sprout. They spent their classes out in greenhouses on the lawn. Both Harry and Neville greatly enjoyed this class, and showed their stuff off, surprising Hermione. By the end of their first class, both of them had earned Gryffindor five points each.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had been something Harry was looking forward to. To him, it seemed the class would be the most informative about combat related skills which was something he was itching to find out about.

Unfortunately, the class turned out to be a joke. The room smelled heavily of garlic, to ward off vampires. Professor Quirrell, the DADA teacher, was a shy and timid man who constantly shied away from everyone. He wore a purple turban that he said was a gift from an African Prince, when Quirrell had dealt with a zombie for him. But when asked about how he did it, Quirrell paled and began stuttering about the weather. Still, the man did know some things about his subject, so it wasn't an entire loss.

Astronomy was taught every Wednesday night by a Professor Sinistra. They would go up to the top of the Astronomy Tower, and learn the names of the stars and planets.

As Friday rolled around, Harry had settled into a comfortable routine. Each morning at five, he would wake up and head outside to do his training. After his four and a half mile run, he would train with his sword and his body. Then he would meditate for a half hour, before practicing his current mage spells. Most were pretty basic, the simply conjuring or manipulation of the elements. He had a few more powerful spells, but nothing really spectacular yet.

Afterwards he would return before anyone was really up, take a shower, and get to breakfast.

As he sat down to breakfast on Friday morning, he heard the fluttering of wings. He glanced up as dozens of owls fluttered into the hall. It had been a bit of a shock on the first day, but now it was normal.

He smiled at Hedwig as she flew down and sat on his shoulder. So far he hadn't gotten any mail, but that was okay. He was going to send a letter home to his family after the week was done.

He stroked her chest feathers, and handed her some bacon. He blinked as he felt another weight on his other shoulder. Blaze had mostly kept to the forest, occasionally joining him as he trained each morning. He looked at Blaze, who was giving Hedwig a look that said 'he's my owner'. Hedwig merely hooted at Blaze and ruffled her feathers.

Harry chuckled, as they flew off afterwards. Neville watched. "That other bird... he's pretty cool." He said, as he held a box of stuff he had forgotten. His grandmother sent them to him.

Harry smiled as he finished eating. "Yep. He's pretty handy in a fight too. He once helped me deal with this bear that attacked me outside my home."

Neville looked at him. "You never do talk about it that much." He said. Harry blinked.

"Well... I'm not quite ready to talk about the entirety of my life yet Neville. I like you, but I'm not ready for that kind of commitment." He said jokingly.

Neville flushed, but laughed with Harry as they made their way out, and towards the dungeons for the last class, Potions.

Harry glanced around as they entered. The class was cold and dank, lit only by the torches in the wall brackets. The walls were also decorated with glass jars filled with pickled animals. At the head of the class were a chalkboard, desk, and a door that led to Snape's personal store of supplies and his office.

Harry and Neville sat down at a table in the middle of the class room. Nearby, Hermione and Ron sat at another desk. Both glanced at each other then turned away, their noses in the air. Meanwhile, the Slytherin first years entered as well. The blonde boy from the train, Draco Malfoy, sneered at Harry before taking his seat.

About two minutes after the last student entered, Snape came in from his office, his black robes billowing around him. He glanced over the occupants of the room, before taking roll call. He lingered as he reached Harry's name. "Ahhh... Harry Potter... our new... _celebrity._"

Harry flushed lightly at that, his eyes hardening slightly. Snape finished, before looking over the students again. "I'm here to teach you the rather subtle art of Potion Making. Unfortunately, unless you prove to be better than the usual dunderheads I teach, I'm afraid most of you will fail this class. Potions is an exact art, requiring precision and skill. There is little to no use for wands or magic in this class, only skill and brains."

His eyes snapped to Harry. "Potter, what will I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry blinked as he thought. _I know this one..._ "I'm not quite sure what it's called, but it's a very powerful sleeping potion. Very powerful."

Snape sneered. "Foolish boy, it's called the Draught of the Living Death. Learn its proper name next time. One point from Gryffindor."

Harry flushed angrily at this, but kept his mouth shut. Snape sneered. "Let's try again. Where can I find a bezoar?"

"In a goat's stomach. It's a stone that can save you from most poisons, though it has little effect against snake or spider venom." Harry said. Snape's eyes widened slightly, before narrowing.

"Hmmm... perhaps you do get by on more than popularity. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" He asked.

Harry smiled lightly. "They're the exact same, and also known as aconite."

Snape sneered lightly. "Well... aren't we a know it all?" He asked. Harry's smile faded, as Snape turned away. "Why aren't you all taking notes? Use that two pound lump you call your brain!"

Harry sighed softly, as he did so. When he first read Potions on his schedule, he had thought he would love it. He had begun learning about potions at the Sanctuary, so he thought it would be interesting here. But he quickly found himself being put off by the man teaching the class.

As they began working in pairs to make a simple potion to cure boils, Harry watched Snape move around the classroom. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, the other two male Gryffindor first years, lost two points simply because their potion was runny. Then Draco Malfoy got five points for his 'perfectly simmering' potion.

Harry turned in time to see Neville pick up the porcupine quills. Harry stopped him. "Wait. We have to take it off the flames first."

Neville quickly pulled back, as Harry gingerly lifted the cauldron off the flames, and they added the quills in.

As the class ended, Snape made a final inspection of the potions. He came to Harry and Neville's creation, and looked at it. The potion was a pale red, simmering lightly on the low flame. Snape stared at it, before looking at the two students.

"Hmmm... barely adequate." He said. "I suppose I'll let you pass this time." He said, waving his wand and emptying the cauldron.

Harry growled to himself as Snape left. The potion wasn't exactly perfect, but it was better than Malfoy's, which was almost solid and pink.

As they left class, Harry grumbled to Neville. "That man is a bloody git." He said. Neville shrugged in agreement, as they left.

Before Harry knew it, two weeks had passed, and he actually finding himself enjoying his time at Hogwarts. Especially when he saw a note on the notice board in the Common Room.

"Hey Neville! Check it! Flying lessons this Thursday." Harry smiled.

At the Sanctuary, the Mages kept a number of brooms for emergency purposes. Everyone in the Sanctuary learned the basics of flying one, and practiced different emergency maneuvers. Harry found he really liked flying, so this was something he was looking forward to.

Neville came over, looking nervous. "I'm not sure if I want to do it." He said. Harry smiled at him, as he knew Neville was under confident and accident prone. He had all ready set to work fixing that.

"Oh c'mon man. It'll be fun. Just think about it. Zooming around in the air, feeling the wind on your face and in your hair. It's great." He said. Neville smiled weakly.

Thursday morning came, and both the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables buzzed excitedly. Harry came in just in time to see the morning mail come. By the time he had sat down next to Neville, the round faced boy had unwrapped a package to reveal a round ball with gray smoke in it. Neville looked up at him.

"My grandmum sent me a Remembrall." He said. "If you hold it tight and the smoke turns red you've forgotten something." He said. Just then, the smoke turned red. "Ohh."

As he tried to remember what it was he had forgotten, Malfoy came over with Crabbe and Goyle. Harry saw his eyes land on Neville's Remembrall, and his body shift. Harry shifted, his arm now reaching for something past Neville. Malfoy's hand, which had shot out to grab the ball form Neville, grabbed Harry's arm instead.

Harry blinked up at the Malfoy heir. "Why Draco! I didn't know you felt that way. Sorry, but I'm not looking for a relationship."

Malfoy jerked back in disgust. "Shut it, Potter!" He shouted. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, only to stop when McGonagall came over.

"What is going on here?" She asked. Malfoy simply sneered at Harry and left. Harry smiled at the Professor.

"Nothing, Professor McGonagall." He said innocently. She just gave him a stern glance, and left.

That afternoon, the twenty first year students of Gryffindor and Slytherin stood on a flat section of the massive grounds surrounding Hogwarts. Before them were twenty brooms, and Madame Hooch, a woman with short gray hair and golden eyes like a hawk.

"Well, let's get going! Stand next to a broom, hold your hand out over it, and shout UP!" She commanded.

They quickly moved next to the brooms, and as one, shouted 'UP'. Only a few shot up into the waiting hands of the students, Harry amongst them. Draco Malfoy's actually went up halfway, then dropped. Neville's didn't budge, while Ron's shot up and smacked him in the face.

Madame Hooch seemed to roll her eyes and went down the line, helping students get their brooms into their hands, and then to mount them.

"Alright. When I blow my whistle, you'll all gently push off the ground. Go up a few feet, then gently lean forward to return to the ground. On my whistle! Three, two, one!" She put the whistle to her lips, but Neville had all ready pushed off into the air. Harry winced as his friend shot up like a cork.

Neville looked down, his eyes widened in fear. He tried to get a tighter grip on his broom, but it slipped away from beneath him. He gasped as he began to fall.

Harry's eyes widened, before he pulled a rune stone form his pocket, and began to whisper under his breath. Neville's descent suddenly slowed a bit, as the wind picked up around him. But it wasn't enough to save him from landing on his arm hard enough to crack his wrist. Neville whimpered in pain as Madame Hooch helped him up.

"I'm taking him to the Hospital Wing! You all keep your feet on the ground, or you'll be suspended faster than you can blink!" She hurried Neville away, back into the castle.

Immediately, the Slytherin's began to crack up. "Did you see his face?" Asked Pansy Parkinson, a female Slytherin with a pug like face. "The big baby."

Harry turned towards her, his eyes hard. "I'd like to see you not cry after breaking your arm from a twenty foot fall."

Pansy went red, but was saved by Malfoy darting forward. "Oh look! It's the baby's Remembrall!" He said.

Ron stepped forward. "Give it here, Malfoy." He said, wanting to one up Harry. Draco simply smirked at him.

"You want it Weasley? Come and get it." Draco took off into the air.

Immediately, Ron shot up after him, moving a bit clumsily. Harry watched, while gripping his own broom.

Above, Ron growled at Malfoy. "You're all alone now, Malfoy! Let's see if you can handle things yourself!" Ron shot at him, but Malfoy side slipped him.

"Please Weasley. You can't match me." He said, yawning. Ron shot at him again, and missed. As Ron shot at him a third time, Malfoy moved up so Ron's head would smash into his foot.

Ron's eyes widened and he tried to roll to avoid it. Instead, he found himself losing his grip. He stared up at Malfoy as he began to fall from forty feet up.

Hermione screamed, as did several other girls. Harry cursed, and shot up into the air on his own broom.

Ron was just beginning to realize his situation, when he suddenly felt something grip his arm. He was suddenly yanked upwards, and onto the back of a broom that was shooting up into the air.

Harry grunted as he managed to yank Ron onto the back of his broom, thanking Gareth for teaching him how to do something like that in case there was an emergency in the air. He turned around to head down to the ground, only to see Malfoy smirking at him.

"Guess Neville will have to get by without his little ball." He said, before chucking it. Harry's eyes immediately locked on it, and he shot after it, with Ron yelling in surprise.

The Remembrall glinted in the sun, as it slowly began to arc downwards. Harry tracked it, aiming below the glass balls arc. He leaned low for more speed, and Ron gripped him tightly.

Harry willed his broom faster, as they neared the ground. The Remembrall was getting closer, but so was the ground.

With two feet left before impact, Harry shot his hand out. His fingers closed around the ball, and he yanked back with his other hand. The broom pulled up, as Ron and Harry's feet skimmed the ground.

Harry was panting heavily, as he circled around to the others. Ron was panting behind him, his arms hugged around Harry's waist in an iron grip. Harry rolled his eyes, as they landed.

"You can let go now." He said. Ron did so, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

Just as Harry was about to say something, a yell froze them both. "POTTER, WEASLEY! What do you think you're doing?"

They turned to see McGonagall stomp towards them, her face white in anger. Ron immediately froze in fear, while Harry grew nervous. He had a perfectly good excuse why he was on the broom, but the stunt with the Remembrall might have been too much.

McGonagall came over to them. "Mr. Weasley, you'll report to my office immediately as will you Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter, you'll follow me."

Malfoy's smirk faded, and he sullenly followed Ron. Harry followed McGongall, who led him down several halls, and to Flitwick's class. The whole time she was muttering things like 'could have killed someone' and 'unbelievable'.

When they arrived, she ordered him to wait outside, as she went in. She soon returned with a confused Gryffindor fifth year. "This way." She said stiffly, as she led them to a nearby classroom.

Once inside, McGonagall turned to them both. "Harry Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Oliver... I've found you your Seeker."

Oliver's eyes went wide, as did Harry's. The black haired youth looked between them. "W-what?"

_That evening_

"You're kidding." Neville said that night at dinner. He had been at the infirmary for a while Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, made sure his arm worked fine after the healing. He had been able to join the Gryffindor's for dinner.

Harry shook his head. "No... they've actually made me Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."

Neville looked at him. "That's... wow..."

Harry shrugged. "I'm just glad I'm not getting punished like Ron was. A whole month of detention? That can't be good."

Neville nodded, only to shrink away as a shadow stood over Harry. "Potter."

Harry turned to see an angry Malfoy. "You think you're so high and mighty, don't you Potter? I'd like to see your real measure. I challenge you to a Wizard's duel."

Harry blinked, and looked at Neville. "Umm... why would I bother accepting? It sounds stupid." He said, as he turned away.

Malfoy sneered. "Coward." He said. Harry stiffened slightly, before turning to him. "Okay... fine. When and where?"

Malfoy's smirk widened. "Trophy room, midnight. And I guess Longbottom there will be your second." With that, they left.

Harry looked at Neville. "Okay... I'm assuming this is a duel like regular duels?" Neville nodded nervously.

In an instant, Hermione was next to them. "Harry, did I just hear you correctly? You accepted a Wizard's duel from Draco Malfoy?"

Harry blinked at her. "Yes... I did... why?"

She glared at him. "You can't do it. You're on thin ice for that stunt today with the broom class. You'll be expelled for sure if you're caught."

Harry blinked. "Ummm... while I do appreciate your opinion... I didn't ask for it." He said softly.

Hermione growled. "Well I'm just trying to make sure you don't get yourself and Gryffindor in trouble!"

Harry shushed her, as her voice had grown louder. "Look, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I can handle myself. Trust me."

She snorted and turned, walking away. Harry sighed softly, and looked at Neville. "You don't have to come."

Neville gulped, before shaking his head. "You...You're my friend Harry. I'm not going to abandon you."

He grinned, and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "Good man." He said.

_Later, Trophy Room_

Harry grumbled as he heard Hermione complain while they stood in the trophy room. He didn't ask for her to come along, but she had been waiting in the Common Room when he and Neville had come down stairs. She had followed them out of the portrait hole, only to find that the Pink Lady was gone, locking her out of the Gryffindor tower. So she had followed them.

Harry glanced down at his wind up watch. "It's almost midnight. Wonder where he is." He whispered. Neville shrugged, while Hermione huffed.

They all froze when they heard something outside the room. "Go ahead, Mrs. Norris. Sniff them out, and I'll make sure the little brats are locked away for a long time."

Everyone froze at this, and mentally cursed at the sound of the voice. Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker, was every student's nemesis. He was always threatening to lock students in the dungeons for breaking the rules.

Even worse was his cat, Mrs. Norris. A scrawny, dust colored thing with bulging lamp like eyes. She'd scout the halls, watching for rule breakers. Any she found were soon caught by Filch.

Harry quietly backed away, bringing Hermione and Neville with him. They made it around the corner before Filch's bulbous nose poked into the room.

Harry turned. "This way." He whispered.

They made it down the corridor, only to find themselves confronted by a door slamming open, and Peeves popping out. He grinned wickedly, only for it to widen at the sight of Harry. "Well, if it isn't ickle Harry Potter. Out of bed? Naughty, naughty."

Harry bit his lip. "Please, Peeves. Move."

"Should turn you in, I should. Only I can be naughty in Hogwarts, and get away with it." Peeves said, grinning evilly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll play hardball." He said, as he grabbed Hermione and Neville and ran.

Peeves blinked, and then shouted, "STUDENT'S OUT OF BED! STUDENT'S OUT OF BED!" He chuckled maniacally as he followed the three students.

Harry didn't know where he was going, he simply kept moving away from Peeves. They tore around a corner, and through a tapestry. Panting, Harry glanced down both ways of a T-intersection, before leading them to the right. They ended up in front of a locked door, which Harry and Neville tried to force open.

In the distance, Peeves could be heard laughing as he drew closer. Hermione growled as she shoved them aside. "Move it!" She whipped out her wand and jabbed it at the door. "_Alohomora!_"

The door popped open, and they entered it, closing the door. Outside, they could hear Peeves arrive outside the door, his laughter dying. Not even ten seconds later, footsteps and panting could be heard joining Peeves.

"PEEVES! What do you think you're doing!" Filch shouted.

Peeves cackled. "I was helping you, I was. Ickle first years was up and about. I was following them!"

"Then where are they Peeves?" Filch yelled.

Inside the room, Harry, Neville, and Hermione trembled. Outside Peeves hummed, before answering." I don't know, Filchy."

Filch screamed in rage as Peeves laughed, flying away. Filch cursed him as he headed off.

Harry let out the breath he was holding, only to blink as Neville tugged on his sleeve. "What Neville?" He asked, turning.

He came face to face with the snout of a giant dog. A dog the size of a small house. A dog the size of a small house, with two other heads. And all three heads were growling.

Harry went numb, before grabbing the door and yanking it open. The three of them spilled out, and the door slammed shut on its own.

Harry grabbed them, and they were off again, running straight back towards the Gryffindor Tower.

Ten minutes later, they were all panting as they stumbled into the Common Room. "Why... why... why is there... a giant... three headed dog... in the castle?" Harry panted out.

Neville just shook his head, while Hermione glared at them.

"You didn't... notice the trap door?" She panted. When they shook their heads, she growled loudly. "Why are men always idiots? That dog is obviously guarding something! Although I honestly could care less what it is. What I care about is forgetting this night. That's the last time I risk expulsion for two thick headed boys!"

As she stomped off to the girls' dorm, Neville and Harry looked at each other. Harry blinked.

"Jeez... you'd think she had decided to come with us willingly." He said. Neville just nodded, as they stumbled up to their beds. They were asleep before they hit their pillows.

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**Okay! The chapter is done! Hope y****ou all enjoyed it.**

**Door1531 go me to consider starting character bios at the end of each chapter. These bios would help establish character's strength and abilities**,** so you readers can know** **how strong they all are.**

**If you think this is a good idea, let me know. Or if you think it's a bad idea, let me know. Either way, let me know.**

**Thanks to Door1531 and Kyuubi123 for betaing this story.**

**And thanks to Door1531 and Bill Alain for their beta work on my other current story, Demon Dragon Rider.**


	4. Trolling for Trolls

**And here is chapter 4 of BMoH. I've noticed a lot of people keep talking about how I should make sure to change things up.**

**As I've said, as this is the last time I'm saying it, there will not be any ground shaking changes till the fifth year, which will be the fifth Harry Potter fanfic. Before now, I'll be following canon, with changes thrown in due to Harry's new circumstances. But I currently have nothing major to change, except for the odd thing here and there. Those things will be rather big in comparison to canon. **

**I hope you all enjoy, and understand. I'm sorry if this causes some readers to leave.**

**Also, I want to advertise some Harry Potter challenges. They're not mine, but they belong to Mafia-Maori-Spartan. If you're interested in writing a mafia style Harry, or a Harry who builds an empire, check him out for the details.**

**Anyways, on with the chapter.**

**

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**Chapter 4**

**Trolling for Trolls**

Harry yawned as he entered the Great Hall the next morning, though a smirk flitted across his face when he saw Malfoy do a spit take at seeing him. He stretched his arms, working out any last kinks from his training, as he sat down next to a half asleep Neville. He elbowed Neville, whose head shot up.

"Well that was quite an adventure last night, wasn't it?" He asked Neville. Neville just nodded sleepily, as he went back to his oatmeal.

Harry had just taken a bite of bacon, when the owls came. Nothing came for him or Neville, but a very old looking gray owl crashed in front of Ron. In its claws was a red envelope.

Everyone around him went silent, as Ron stared at the card like it was a bomb. He slowly took it, trembling as he did. Percy shook his head, while Fred and George watched gleefully as Ron slowly undid it.

The entire Hall exploded with a loud shrieking noise. Harry thought it was a banshee, till he could make out words.

"_RONALD WEASLEY I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WENT AND TRIED SOMETHING SO STUPID! NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS HAVE I EVER BELIEVED ONE OF MY CHILDREN COULD BE SO PIG_ _HEADED AND IDIOTIC! NOT EVEN THE TWINS WERE THAT BAD! I SWEAR IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE AGAIN_ _I'LL GROUND YOU UNTIL YOU'RE THIRTY, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!_"

The red envelope then quieted down. "Now hand me to that dear boy Harry, you understand?"

Ron looked murderously at Harry, his ears and face a bright red. He stiffly got up and walked over to Harry, almost shoving the envelope into his hands. Harry blinked, as he looked down at it.

The softer voice spoke up. "Professor McGonagall told me about how you saved Ronald's life. So I wanted to thank you. Hopefully I can do it in person one day. Thank you again Harry." With that, the envelope fluttered from his hand and erupted into flames. Harry just blinked again.

As talk began again throughout the Hall, most of it pointed at Ron or Harry, Harry looked over at Neville. "What was that?"

"A Howler. They're used when you really want to get your point across, especially when you're punishing someone." He shuddered. "Gran sent me one once... it was horrible. It's even worse if you don't open it. Then it just explodes into flames, which changes into the person who sent it and shrieks at you."

Harry just nodded, as he glanced at Ron. The red head was glaring daggers at him, and Harry sighed. It would seem the Howler had simply made the boy even angrier at him. It fit with the personality Harry had Ron pegged as. He was short tempered, thinking more with his mouth and beliefs then his brain. He was also a rather jealous person. From what he had learned from Fred and George, Ron was trying to get out of the gigantic shadow thrown over him by his brothers. His brother Bill had been Head Boy at Hogwarts, and worked as a curse breaker for Gringotts. His second oldest brother Charlie had been Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain and now worked with dragons in Romania. Percy was a prefect, and everyone knew Fred and George's reputation.

So basically, Ron was trying to come out of his brother's shadows. His attempting to stop Draco seemed to be an attempt to gain some fame. And now that it had backfired, he would blame the two responsible: Draco, which was understandable, and Harry.

Harry simply shrugged, as he finished eating and grabbed his bag for Potions class. He gritted his teeth as he headed off. _Almost to the weekend, Harry._

Potions was its usual boring self. They were working on brewing the simplest of antidote potions. Harry was able to complete a near perfect potion, and he helped Neville to make a very good one. Snape came sweeping by, and glowered at the two potions. Unable to make a snide comment, he simply jotted down a few notes and moved on. Harry rolled his eyes.

"That man obviously has no real clue on how to be a teacher. If he did, he wouldn't be playing favorites. What I want to know is why no one has reported him yet." He muttered to Neville, as they headed for lunch after a double class of Potions. Neville shrugged.

"My Gran says that several people have all ready complained after their kids told them what he does. Apparently there are few Potion Masters of Snape's quality, so that's why he gets away with it." He said. Harry just snorted.

"Figures. He's getting his butt kissed because he's so good. I'd rather have an average teacher who doesn't favor anyone then a good teacher who favors some." He muttered as they headed for lunch.

That afternoon was a peaceful and boring lesson in History of Magic. Harry managed to catch a few snippets, mostly dealing with the peace treaty signed between wizards and goblins that resolved the Bloody Rebellions of 1612.

After class and dinner, Harry was approached by Wood. "Harry, listen. McGonagall said I could take you down to the Quidditch Pitch tomorrow night. Be there at seven."

Harry nodded as he walked off, before sighing. "Now I just need to get a broom." He muttered. He sighed again, as he wondered where he would get one.

As it would turn out, the problem was solved for him the next morning. Harry was quite surprised when a mixture of owls and birds of prey practically dropped a long thin package into his lap. It was followed by Blaze landing and handing him a letter, which bore the Battle Mage crest on the wax seal.

Harry slit the envelope, revealing two letters. He opened the top one first, which turned out for the best.

_Harry_

_If you're reading this before you opened the package, good. Don't open the package till you're in your room. Otherwise you'll be making a lot of students jealous. When you open this, do not go bragging about it. Remember, this is a privilege, understand?_

_Now onto other business. Harry, while I do not encourage showing off, I'm proud that you saved that boy's life and rescued the Remembrall. But still, don't risk yourself and another's life over an inanimate object again. Understand?_

_I hope you have a wonderful year, and eagerly await your next letter. Now, you better get to your mom's letter._

_From Gareth_

Harry smiled, as he put the letter in his pocket. He then opened the second note and cringed.

_HARRY JAMES POTTER! I can't believe you would do something so reckless and unbelievable! What if you had gotten expelled! What if you had gotten hurt! You ever do something like that again, I'll ground you till you're an old man, do you hear me!_

_Now that I have that out of the way, I couldn't be prouder of you for saving that boy Ron's life. You did us all proud._

_Just remember to NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!_

_Have a good year, and we'll see you for Christmas Break._

_Love Mom._

Harry smiled softly as he read this. He tucked the note away, and picked the package up. He nodded to Neville and headed off, carrying the package close to him.

As he exited the Great Hall, he spotted Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle waiting for him. He sighed as he gripped the package close, and headed to move past them.

Just as Malfoy moved to grab the package, Harry spun away from him, and ducked under Goyle's arm. Harry was up the stairs before they recovered. "Mind your own business Malfoy!" Harry shouted down to him.

He quickly rushed up to the Gryffindor common room and up to his room. He slowly unwrapped the package, and gasped softly. Before him lay a magnificent broom. It was a Nimbus 2000. From what he had heard around school, it was the latest model on the market.

To him, it was beautiful. The handle was mahogany and polished to a dull shine. Each twig on the end was almost perfectly straight, adding to the brooms sleek appearance. At the head of the handle, stamped in gold letters, was the name of the broom.

Harry grinned. "Oh yeah." He whispered.

Neville soon joined him, gasping as he saw the broom. "Harry...is that a Nimbus 2000?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, it is...I can't believe it." He picked the broom up, only to blink at the note that fell from the broom. He picked that up, and read.

_Harry. This broom was bought with some of the money from your school vault. Do not worry; you have more than enough to see you through the rest of your school years. Just be careful with it, all right? Love from Dad and Mom._

Harry grinned. "I've got the greatest adoptive parents ever." Neville nodded.

Throughout the day, Harry's mind was focused entirely on the broom in his trunk, and the training session tonight. He couldn't wait to see what he could do on it.

As seven approached, Harry said farewell to Neville. Hermione just gave him a small glare, still not forgiving him for the incident with the three headed dog. And Ron glared at him, when he saw the thin package. Harry simply ignored both.

Harry practically skipped down to the Quidditch pitch, and quickly unwrapped his broom. He grinned as he mounted it and took off into the air.

The familiar rush of wind made him even more excited, as he began racing around the pitch. He wove through the massive trio of goal posts at one end, then the other.

Just as he was nearing the entrance he had come in through, he heard a shout from the ground. He turned and saw Oliver standing there with his own broom, a bat, and a large trunk.

Harry landed, as Oliver grinned. "You looked like you were born to fly." He said. "You like it?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. It's so...liberating." He grinned. "Okay. So I think I all ready have an idea of the game. There are four balls, but as Seeker I only need to worry about catching the Snitch and dodging Bludgers, right?"

Oliver nodded. "Right. Well that saves us some time then, doesn't it? Now, since it's dark we can't train with the Snitch. So I'll be throwing these golf balls instead." He said, holding up a bag of golf balls.

Harry nodded as he took off. Oliver soon followed with the bag.

The throws started easy enough, and Harry caught them easily enough. Slowly, the throws increased in difficulty.

Oliver, at one point, pitched one high up and another fast and far. Harry barrel rolled in mid air, snatching the lower one before pulling up to catch the higher one that was falling. Just as he caught it, a third one appeared in the corner of his eye. He looped, heading down at high speed, catching it.

By the time they finished, Oliver was grinning widely. "That was incredible! Absolutely incredible! We're going to win the Cup for certain this year!"

Harry just smiled as they landed, and began hiking back up to the castle.

As they reached the Entrance Hall, Oliver split off as he noticed a trio of Gryffindor girls. He told Harry to be at the Quidditch Pitch next Saturday at seven in the morning. Harry just waved him off as Oliver went to talk to the girls.

He started heading up the stairs, when he ran into someone. Looking up, he saw Ron glaring at him. He sighed. "Can I help you Ron?" He asked.

Ron growled. "Yeah you can. You can stop being such a show off. With your fancy skills and your new Nimbus 2000. What's next? You become the first student ever to be made Head Boy in their first year?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know what your problem with me is Ron, but I'm not a show off."

Ron clenched his fists. "I'll believe that as soon as I believe that Malfoy can actually do a good thing in his life."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. Believe what you want Ron. I don't care."

Harry moved to go past him, only for Ron to grab his shoulder and throw a punch. Harry twisted away, causing Ron to lose his balance. While his balance was off, Harry grabbed him and pinned the red head against a wall.

Ron's eyes widened as Harry held him there. "I honestly can't believe you'd let petty jealousy lead you to assault another student. But obviously your brain is too small to comprehend anything. So I'll try to make this simple Ron. I've got no problem with you unless you make one. So I suggest you let your wounded pride and jealousy take a back seat in your mind for a while. Understand?"

He shoved Ron into the wall and picked his broom up, leaving before Ron could recover. The youngest male Weasley panted slightly, rubbing his neck.

Harry returned to his dorm room, the incident mostly forgotten as he fell asleep that night.

In the weeks that followed, Harry found himself busier than ever. After the initial team practice, Harry found himself practicing Quidditch three nights a week. He found himself growing closer with his teammates.

Fred and George Weasley turned out to be the Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry was amazed at seeing the two of them in action, as they made the job look easy, the way they smacked and backhanded the Bludgers like it was nothing.

Oliver played the Keeper position. During practice, he guarded the three goal posts from the trio of girls Harry had seen him speak to that first night. The chasers were Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell. Angelina and Alicia were both in the same year group as the Weasley Twins, which was third years, while Katie was a second year.

Harry also started finding most of his classes a lot more interesting than expected. As the students slowly began to get more and more comfortable with using magic and their wands, the spells and work began to delve deeper into their subjects. The spells were still very easy ones, but it was still quite interesting.

In particular, Harry really found himself enjoying Transfiguration and Charms, as they were the more practical magic that they were learning that didn't have a biased teacher teaching them.

Harry listened to McGonagall talk to them about transforming the branches in front of them into quill pens. After they had taken down notes, and set to work, Harry began to ponder about other transfigurations while he worked on the branch. When he finally had a quill pen in front of him, McGonagall graded him for it. Once she walked away, he pulled out a notebook, and began looking through it, before finding what he wanted. He glanced around, before pointing his wand at the quill, whispering "_Formo lamna (Form knife blade)."_

The quill began to quiver, and took the form of a knife. But other than that, the material remained that of a quill. Harry sighed, reversing the spell and shrugging to himself. _Maybe later._

McGonagall had noticed what he had done, and was both worried and impressed. Worried about his choice of what he had tried to transform his quill into, but impressed he had managed so much with the first try of a more advanced spell. She resolved to keep an eye on Harry in the future.

Before Harry knew it, he was waking up on the morning of October 31st. The castle was filled with the smells of baked pumpkin, as they finished breakfast, and headed for classes.

In Charms, Flitwick announced they would be learning the _Wingardium Leviosa _spell, which he had demonstrated earlier in the year by making Neville's toad fly around the room.

They were partnered up, with Harry working with Seamus. Surprisingly, Ron and Hermione were teamed together as well.

Flitwick watched them all. "Now remember your wrist movements and your pronunciation! Remember the wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself pinned by a buffalo on his chest."

Harry actually was amazed at how difficult the spell was. Seamus actually became so frustrated he prodded the feather they were trying to levitate. It burst into flames, catching Seamus' eyebrows. Harry put them out, followed by the feather.

As he finished, he heard Ron's attempts to perform the spell. He glanced over to see Ron flailing as he badly pronounced the spell.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're doing it wrong. The wrist movement is a swish and flick. And it's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi_-o_-sa. Make the 'gar' longer."

"Well why don't you just do it then?" He snapped at her.

She glared at him, before doing so. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The feather rose into the air and hovered up there. Hermione smiled as she caused it to move in a circle, while Ron just glared at the table.

"Oh well done!" Flitwick said, smiling and clapping. Unfortunately, his celebrations were cut short by a feather that shot through the air, knocking his hat off and pinning it to the wall behind him. Neville looked down sheepishly, while Dean tried not to laugh.

As class ended, Harry watched Ron as he muttered to Dean and Seamus. "Can you believe her? Sitting there, lecturing me like she was a teacher. '_You're doing it wrong_'. No wonder she doesn't have any friends. No one can stand her!" The three of them laughed.

What they didn't see, but Harry and Neville did, was Hermione was right behind the trio. And her eyes immediately filled with tears at their words, before she pushed past them. Harry growled softly.

Hermione disappeared for the rest of the day. Neville later told Harry that he overheard Parvati telling Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom, and wanted to be left alone.

Harry sighed when he heard that. He considered not going to the Halloween feast that night, but decided he would wait till tomorrow to talk to her.

As afternoon classes ended early for Halloween, Harry grinned. Two weeks ago, Professor McGonagall announced to the students of Gryffindor that if they wished, they could wear costumes to the Halloween feast. Harry decided he would go in his Battle Mage outfit.

As he got ready, he looked at the others. Seamus was dressed up like a Dark Age era Irish warrior, Dean was dressed like a soccer player, and Ron was dressed as a member of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team.

Neville though was rather ingenious. He was dressed to look like a Devil's Snare, a plant that Professor Sprout had mentioned would be part of their lessons later on in the year.

Harry grinned as he slipped into his normal clothes and slid the bracers and cloak on, before sheathing his sword at his side. With a nod to Neville, the two of them trooped down to the Great Hall.

As soon as they entered, their jaws dropped. Over two thousands live bats fluttered from wall to wall or dove low over the tables, causing the floating jack-o-lanterns to sputter.

Harry scanned the Hall as he headed for a seat at the table. A little fewer than half the students were dressed up in costumes. Draco was wearing full prince regalia, with Pansy Parkinson in a princess outfit. Crabbe and Goyle were dressed up as pirates.

At the Head Table, most of the professors were dressed normally. Flitwick had dressed up as a leprechaun. But it was Dumbledore who had his attention. Dumbledore, for some reason, was dressed as a fairy.

When he saw this, Harry just froze and stood there. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He glanced at Neville, who was just as dumbstruck.

"I see you two have noticed our esteemed Head Master." Came a voice from behind them. They both turned to see Fred and George in jester outfits.

Fred's had a four pointed jester hat, with red and blue patterns for his outfit. George had yellow and green, with a two pointed jester hat. Both of them carried little jester scepters that had the first letter of their names at the top.

The sight of the twins seemed to knock some sense into both Harry and Neville. They just shook their heads and sat down.

The food for the feast appeared before them on the golden plates. But just as they began to eat, the doors slammed open.

Professor Quirrell ran in, his purple turban askew as he screamed in fear. "TROLL! TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!"

He collapsed in fear and exhaustion, as the students broke into a mass panic. Dumbledore stood to his feet, his dress billowing around him before reverting to his normal robes.

"SILENCE!" He roared. Everyone froze and looked at him.

"Prefects, you will lead your houses back to their common rooms. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons!" He stated with authority.

Harry glanced at Neville as they stood up. "A troll? Inside the castle? How is that possible?" Neville shrugged.

However, just as they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry froze. He grabbed Neville's arm. "Hermione! She doesn't know about the troll!" He hissed.

Neville looked at him with wide eyes. "We should tell Percy." He whispered.

Harry shook his head. "It would take too much time. C'mon. We'll find her and get back to the common room."

He and Neville ducked into a group of Hufflepuffs heading the other way. They quickly slipped down a side corridor, where Neville shrugged out of his costume, leaving him in a button down shirt and his khaki pants. He gripped his wand as they rushed to the girl's bathroom.

They rounded a corner, only for Harry to drag them behind a column as they heard footsteps. They both watched as Snape appeared, heading down the corridor. Harry's eyes narrowed. _What is he doing?_

Harry slowly came out, with Neville behind him. Harry watched Snape rush down the hall and around the far corner. "He's heading for the third floor." He said.

As soon as Snape was gone, they continued. Two corridors later, they stopped as a large shadow appeared on the wall in front of them. Both of them froze, and shrank against the wall. Harry gagged as a horrible smell assaulted their noses.

"What is that?" He hissed out. Neville just shook his head. Then he stopped, his eyes fixed above Harry's head.

Harry slowly turned his head. A massive figure was going past them, heading down the corridor to their right. The figure was massive, with tree like arms and legs with warts and lumps all over it. Its small head sat on its shoulders. In one hand it dragged a massive wooden club.

Both the first year Gryffindor's watched the creature lumber down the hall, and into a room. Harry cursed silently as he recognized the room.

Hermione snuffled, as she heard something move outside her bathroom stall. "Parvati, just leave me alone." She said sadly.

There wasn't a response, other than movement coming closer. She angrily dashed the tears from her eyes and slammed the door open, only to run straight into a leathery and foul smelling thing. She backed away, looking up into the dull yellow eyes of the troll. It blinked at her, before grunting and lifting its club.

Hermione screamed as she dove back into the stall and sank to the ground. Above her, the club smashed through the stalls obliterating the walls separating them.

The troll grunted, as it swung his club back, destroying the sinks. As water shot into the air, it raised its club again, only for it to stop. The troll grunted, and turned to look. The club was being held by a whip made of water, which led back to a cloaked figure at the door.

Harry grunted as he held the whip. He glanced at Neville. "C'mon, do something!" He shouted.

Neville immediately pulled out his wand, and blinked. He shouted the first spell that came to mind. "_Flipendo!_"

The light bludgeoning spell hit the club, knocking it from the troll's hand. It blinked stupidly, looking at its empty hand. Hermione took this opportunity to try and crawl away. Unfortunately her movements caught the troll's attention. It began to reach down to her, causing her to scream again.

Harry cursed as he drew his sword, rushing forward. He slashed the trolls arm, leaving a long gash.

It stumbled back, looking at the gash, then at the small figure holding the sword now dripping blood. The troll roared and swung it's fist down at him.

Harry cursed and dove forward, in between its legs. The giant hand slammed into the ground behind him.

Neville winced, as he tried to think of a way to help Harry. His eyes landed on the fallen club, and then they widen. He looked to Hermione, who was crawling to him. "Hermione, I need your help."

Harry slashed at the troll's right leg. The troll roared, dropping to one knee. Harry moved to stab the other one, only to be backhanded into a wall. He grunted as he fell to the ground.

The troll stood up, one leg buckling_. _It roared, as it stumbled towards Harry, who was stirring weakly.

Hermione and Neville both grunted, as they both targeted the club with the _Wingardium Leviosa _spell. It rose into the air, slowly moving towards the troll. It hovered above the creature's head, before they released it.

It was unbelievable bad timing that at that moment, the troll's wounded leg buckled, and it fell over. The club struck its shoulder, causing it to let out a loud yelp of pain.

Harry shook the cobwebs from his brain, and stood, gripping his sword. The troll was struggling to get up, when Harry stood over it. It looked up at him, as he gripped his sword. He looked into those dull yellow eyes, before holding out one hand towards it. "_Aqua Inflatus_ (Water Blast)."

Water from the broken sinks and toilets rushed straight at the troll, smashing into its head with the force of a large hammer. The troll grunted, knocked unconscious.

Harry stood there, panting. He slowly looked up to the other two, who stared at him in confusion and awe. He slowly began to clean the sword of blood with toilet paper from one of the stalls, when the door burst open.

Professor's McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape rushed in. Quirrell nearly fainted on the spot, while Snape's eyes narrowed. McGonagall gripped her chest, as she stared at the troll, then the three students. "Someone... explain what happened here." She finally got out.

Neville looked at Harry with a terrified expression. Harry slowly came over, sheathing his sword. He saw Hermione glance guiltily at the two of them. She opened her mouth, but Harry beat her to the punch. "Professors, I'm sorry we worried you. But me and Neville came looking for Hermione, who had run away earlier when another student made some hurtful comments about her. When we heard about the troll, I realized that Hermione didn't know about it. So Neville and I came looking for her, intent on getting her back to the Common Room. The troll found her first, unfortunately, so we did all we could to rescue her."

Hermione glanced at Harry, who simply smiled at her. McGonagall looked at the troll, then at them. "Well...what you did was both admirable but extremely foolish. I'll award you and Mr. Longbottom ten points each for sheer bravery and selflessness. And I'll give you both detention for a week for breaking the rules. You'll report to my office Monday evening at eight. Am I clear?"

They both nodded, looking down. McGonagall smiled. "Good. Now all three of you, please return to your Common Room."

They all scurried out, but not before Harry noticed blood on Snape's robe, and how he seemed to be leaning off his left leg. The trio quickly headed back to the Gryffindor Tower, grabbing Neville's costume on the way. As they reached the portrait, Hermione stopped them both. She looked down, embarrassed, before hugging them both. "Thank you." She said quietly, before rushing inside.

Both Harry and Neville looked at each other, before shrugging and entering to resume the Halloween Feast.

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**So, here it is. This is actually shorter then I wanted to do, but I originally, I had also tacked on the entire first Quidditch match, and my betas felt that the chapter had become too long. So, you'll all get my Quidditch Match next chapter. **

**Once again, Mafia-Maori-Spartan has some Harry Potter challenges. If you're interested in taking these challenges, talk to him for more information.**

**Please review unless you intend to flame.** **Also, I'd greatly appreciate it if people would stop asking me questions or making comments while signed in anonymously, as I can't answer you people except through my chapters.**


	5. Seeking Snitches

**Now this is actually interesting. Originally, everything right before the Quidditch Match to the end of it was at the end of the last chapter. But both my betas told me it made the chapter run long. And I agreed. So, here is Harry's first Quidditch match.**

**No other real news, except thanks are currently due to JediDragonRanger for his help in Latin so far. Thanks man.**

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**Chapter 5**

**Seeking Snitches**

_First Saturday of November_

Harry sighed to himself, as he jogged around the field. He felt his body jitter slightly at the cold, but also at the nerves he was feeling. Today was his first Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

As he slowed down in the last leg of his run, his thoughts turned to the past week. As predicated, the entire school began spreading rumors on what had happened, ranging from Harry slaying the troll, to Harry unleashing more power than any known wizard and simply incinerating the troll with a single thought.

Harry had also received a letter from home, which he had been dreading since it would be the second one concerning what he had done recently at Hogwarts.

_**Flashback**_

_Harry sighed as he read the letter that had just come from home._

'_Dear Harry,_

_You just can't stop playing the hero, can you son. Dumbledore told us of what you did. I admit, this time I can't fault you at all. What you did was courageous, selfless, and everything else that I have seen grow within you._

_Still, expect to be scolded from your mom when you come home for Christmas Break, and expect to get some rigorous training from me. We need to work on your speed and agility still, it seems._

_Travis says hi._

_Love Dad'_

_Harry sighed as he rolled the letter up and stashed it away._

_**Flashback Ends**_

Harry smiled, as he thought about the good that had come from the incident. Hermione had started hanging out with Harry and Neville, and they gladly welcomed her as their new friend. Not only did they get her friendship, but she also was a fountain of knowledge. In return, Neville and Harry tried to help her relax more.

One thing that Harry had done shortly after Halloween was explain to both of them exactly what they had seen in the bathroom. He explained to them both what he was, where he had grown up, everything. Happily they both accepted him, and eagerly asked him questions about Battle Mages, especially Hermione. She was fascinated by them, since it was something she couldn't read about in a book.

Harry finally stopped and glanced at the dimly illuminated Quidditch Field. In a few hours, he would be there, flying against more experienced Quidditch Players for the first time. He shook his head, banishing negative thoughts. They would just make things worse for him in the end.

He finished his morning workout and training, especially focusing on his wind spells. The fight with the troll had been a bit of a revelation for Harry. Most of the spells he had currently would be useless unless it was all out war within Hogwarts. All of his fire and lightning spells were far too dangerous and damaging to use except in the most extreme of situations. His earth spells would require for Harry to be on a lower level, and to rip apart the floors of the hallways to get at earth to use in them. This left him with wind and water spells as the least likely to cause collateral damage if he had to cast inside the walls of Hogwarts.

Even then his water spells were limited to a nearby source of water. This left him with only his low level wind spells, of which he had few strong ones.

As he finished his training, and trudged up to the castle, he was waylaid by Wood. "Harry? What are you doing out here? Don't you know the Slytherin's could have ambushed you out here? C'mon." He hurried Harry inside.

In the Hall, a large number of students were having breakfast. Harry sighed as he sat down, and began eating. Gryffindor's were coming up and congratulating him, while Slytherin's kept sending him death glares form their table.

Harry's eyes slowly scanned the Head Table, until they landed on Snape. Earlier in the week, while he and Neville were on their way to detention, he had overhead Snape muttering something to Filch inside a classroom. He had snuck a peek inside the room he heard the voices from, and saw Snape having his leg bandaged by Filch. Snape was muttering about 'how was someone was supposed to be able to keep track of all the heads on the dog.'

Since then, Harry had become suspicious of Snape. Everyone knew something was up in the forbidden corridor. Harry, Neville, and Hermione knew that the three headed dog was guarding something. And now Snape had tried to get past it on Halloween.

Harry set his suspicions aside, as he ate breakfast. There would be time for that later, after the match.

As eleven o'clock came around, the school filled the Quidditch Arena. Many wore their cloaks and scarves and carried binoculars.

Harry vaguely listened to Oliver's inspirational speech as he finished slipping on the scarlet and gold robes of Gryffindor, and tightened the playing gloves and greaves. He gripped his broom as they got up, and headed out to the field.

The crowd roared as they took to the field. Opposite them stood the hulking figures of the Slytherin team, wearing green and silver playing robes.

Oliver headed to the center where Madame Hooch stood. Opposite him, a hulking figure that looked like his ancestors were once trolls approached.

"Wood, Flint. Shake hands and let's have a clean game." Hooch said. The two captains shook hands, and then returned to their teams. All of them mounted their brooms and waited. Hooch looked around at them and then blew her whistle, releasing the Bludgers and Snitch before tossing the Quaffle up.

The fourteen players rose into the air and immediately shot off into various directions. Harry climbed high into the air, and immediately began scanning the Arena for the Snitch.

"And up above is the youngest Seeker in a century, Harry Potter. He's all ready on the hunt for the Snitch. Meanwhile, Johnson has the Quaffle, heading for the Slytherin goal posts. Bludger shot to her; she dodges, passing to Spinnet. Spinnet passes to Bell-no it's intercepted by Flint, he's heading down range and- owwww that had to hurt. Bludger to the side of the face, sent there by Fred or George Weasley."

Harry glanced at a booth sent up for commentary, where Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor third year was commentating on the match.

"Now Bell has the Quaffle, she dodges Adrian Pucey, two bludgers, shoots...SCORE! Ten points to Gryffindor!" He shouted into the megaphone he had.

A roar went up from Gryffindor's fans, while groans and boos went up from Slytherin's. Harry ignored this, though he smiled at Katie's goal. He continued to scan for the Snitch, only for his eyes to widen as he went into a roll to one side as a Bludger shot up at him. It spun around, aiming at him again, and he shot to one side. The Bludger gave up, focusing its attention on the third Slytherin Chaser that came near it.

Over the next twenty minutes, Gryffindor scored at least five more times, with Slytherin getting two goals.

Harry was constantly scanning, while watching the Slytherin Seeker whenever he could watch him. He suddenly stopped, noticing a flash of gold near the center of the field and down low to the ground. He immediately banked, going into a dive.

There was a roar from the crowd as they saw Harry dive. Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker, wildly scanned for the Snitch in the direction Harry was diving. He too dived when he saw it.

The two were moving at maximum speed, but Harry had the advantage due to his broom's power and the deeper angle of his dive. He was going to get there first.

Unfortunately Marcus Flint realized this too. He flew in front of Harry, heading straight for him. Harry growled, rolling away and around Marcus. But by then, the Snitch was gone.

There were roars of anger from the entire Gryffindor crowd, as Marcus smugly flew away. Harry cursed as he wove in and out of the players on the field, heading back up to his searching altitude.

Suddenly his broom jumped under him. Harry blinked and looked down at it, only for the broom to settle. Harry shook his head, and continued.

Down in the teachers' booth, Snape slipped his wand back into his robes, while Quirrell was trembling slightly. The DADA teacher glanced at Snape, who kept his soulless black eyes on him.

"Well, after a near collision, Slytherin is in possession. Flint is flying down field, dodging Chasers. He goes for the shot, and... scores." Lee said, his tone going to disappointment.

Flint smirked even more, only for a Bludger to smack him full in the face, breaking his nose. George Weasley whistled innocently as he flew away.

Harry smirked, only for his eyes to widen as he saw the Snitch again. This time it was hovering near Wood. Harry took a deep breath, and subtly edged his broom in that direction.

He was almost over the goal posts, when one of Slytherin's beaters shouted to Terence. "It's over there!"

Terence immediately shot for the Snitch, but Harry had the advantage. He went straight into a power dive, as Oliver looked up.

The Gryffindor Keeper ducked, as Harry shot past him. The Snitch had taken off, but Harry was locked on, following it. It duck and dove, pulling out and heading for the crowd. Harry followed, keeping his eyes focused on his target. Terence was trying to pull up alongside him, but his broom just couldn't match Harry's.

Harry was almost upon the Snitch, when Marcus dove, heading straight for him. Harry watched Marcus, then Terence, before smirking.

Just as Marcus was about to hit him, Harry rolled, moving under Marcus and grabbing the Snitch. As he did, Marcus Flint and Terrence Higgs smashed into each other. Harry rose up, the Snitch clenched in his fist. He grinned at the roar of the crowd, as he circled the arena in victory.

Half an hour later, Harry stepped from the changing rooms. The others had gone ahead, while he took a shower to sooth a few sore muscles.

Outside the locker room, Neville and Hermione joined him. The three happily chatted as they walked up to the school.

As soon as they entered, a number of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws cheered and congratulated Harry. He simply smiled and accepted their congratulations.

The three of them were heading down a hallway to the Gryffindor Common Room, when they heard a voice coming from a nearby classroom. "I-I-I don't s-s-see why y-y-you had to p-pull your w-wand on m-me Severus. I w-w-wasn't d-doing anything."

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that I would be watching you, Quirrell. I told you not to interfere, and you did. Next time, I will simply deal with you. Is that understood?" The voice of Severus Snape chilled all three of them to the bone.

Harry immediately dragged them behind a tapestry, as the door opened and Snape stepped out. He glanced around the hall then strolled off, his black robes billowing as he did.

Hermione glanced at the two boys. "What was that about?" She whispered.

Harry bit his lip for a moment. "Hermione...are there spells that could be used to mess with a broom?" He asked softly.

She nodded. "There are actually quite a few jinx's, ranging from simple ones to high level ones, usually used by Dark Magic wielders. Why do you ask?"

Harry began leading them away. "During the match, my broom jumped under me. Twice. And now this bit with Professors Snape and Quirrell? What if...what if Snape was trying to throw me off my broom and Professor Quirrell stopped him?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "H-Harry, I...I don't think a teacher would try to kill you." She said.

Neville shook his head. "I'm not so sure Hermione. Professor Snape seems pretty mean, especially to Harry. I wouldn't put it past him, especially considering he tried to get past that dog on Halloween night. Maybe he let the troll in. It was seen in the dungeons, where his class and quarters are."

Hermione bit her lip. "I still don't believe a Professor would want to kill a student." She said.

Harry shrugged. "It was just a thought Hermione." He peeked out. "We should get going. Hagrid wanted to celebrate my first Quidditch victory."

The other two chuckled weakly. "Just so long as he doesn't make any of his stoat sandwiches." Neville said.

About an hour later, they were sitting in Hagrid's hut. It was only one room, with a table, fireplace and a giant bed. Dead birds and tools hung from the roof.

Neville had been slobbered on by Hagrid's boarhound Fang as soon as they arrived.

Hagrid grinned at Harry. "Well Harry, that was a bit of fine flying you did out there today, no question about that. It was like seeing your dad when he was here at school. He was Seeker too, when he went here."

Harry smiled. "Guess I've got something to live up to then, huh?" He said. His mood sobered though. "Hagrid...what can you tell me about Professor Snape?"

Hagrid blinked. "An odd question to be bringing up. What do you want to know?"

Harry looked at the others. "Well...only Neville and Hermione know about this. But on Halloween...I noticed that Snape's leg was bloody. And after, I heard him complaining to Filch about the three headed dog in the Third Corridor. I think he tried to get past it on Halloween."

Hagrid's mouth was open. "How do you know about Fluffy?" He asked.

The three students stared at him. "Fluffy? That thing is called Fluffy?" Hermione asked her eyes wide.

Hagrid nodded. "Well of course. I named him that, when I got him off a Greek chappie in the pub. Then Dumbledore asked for help in...I shouldn't be talking about that." He said suddenly, trying to cover his mistake.

They all looked at him. "Help in what? What did he need Fluffy for?" Harry asked excitedly.

Hagrid shook his head, and Neville tried. "But Hagrid, whatever Dumbledore needs Fluffy for, Snape's trying to get past him."

Hagrid shook his head. "I don't know what you kids saw, but Snape is a professor of Hogwarts, and Dumbledore trusts him. So leave it be." He said, as he made some tea.

The three students sighed, and took some more tea. Eventually the talk turned elsewhere, and by the time the three of them were heading back up to the school, the subject of their questions had mostly faded from their minds.

_Dumbledore's Office, Three weeks later_

Dumbledore sighed lightly, as he sat at his desk within the Headmasters office.

The office was a rounded room, with a fireplace against one wall, and a window opposite. The Headmaster's private quarters were through a door behind the desk.

All around the room were portraits of previous headmasters, most of whom were sleeping. Several silvery devices hummed and puffed out small clouds of smoke as they sat on spindly small tables and stands.

Dumbledore thought back to the past ten years. He had placed tracking charms on Harry, to keep an eye on him. Then as soon as he returned to his office and checked the charms on Harry, he found them being blocked by something. All he could ascertain was that Harry most certainly was not at the Dursley's home.

He had immediately notified Fudge. A three year hunt began for the missing Boy Who Lived, only to end in failure.

Then Harry had appeared, in the company of these Battle Mages. Dumbledore had been intrigued, but also concerned on what effect they might have had on Harry.

Dumbledore was almost certain that Harry had a vital role to play in the coming years. If his fears proved true, Harry would be their only hope against the Wizarding World's greatest enemy. He had already begun a plan to train Harry, guide him to the moment when he would defeat this threat if it came to pass. But the Battle Mages had changed the rules. The question now was whether he fought against these changes or accepted them.

He was brought out of his musings by a knock on the door. He straightened up. "Come in." He said.

The door opened, and the cloaked figure of Gareth Wallace entered. He closed the door behind him. "Dumbledore." He bowed his head lightly. "You called for me?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I did. Please sit." He said. As Gareth did so, he indicated a bowl of lemon drops. "Care for a lemon drop?" He asked.

Gareth shook his head. "No, thank you. May I ask what this is about?" He asked.

Dumbledore sighed slightly. "Well...it has to do with the recent treaty that was finally agreed upon and signed between the Ministry of Magic and your Battle Mage Sanctuary. As you know, one of the clauses of the agreement was the sharing of any information on things and events that could cause harm or relates to the enemies of others. That is why I've called you here."

Gareth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Do you have such information?"

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes losing some of their twinkle. "I...I have a theory. More of a fear, but still. I believe that the Dark Lord Voldemort is still alive. Not in physical form, but in spirit. And that fear was increased when you told myself and Minister Fudge about the Battle Mage prophecy. I believe that the darkness Harry will face is Voldemort."

Gareth blinked at him. "But...how could he still be alive? Even in only a spirit form?"

Dumbledore sighed. "There are many dark rituals. Some too dark to even contemplate. But it's always a possibility that he would have used one of those that could at least preserve his spirit. There was no body of his at the wreckage of Harry's home."

Gareth nodded slowly. "I hope you're wrong, but...it does seem a possibility. Is there any way to prove it?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "That's actually what I have begun doing. I decided to test my theory, so I laid out bait for him here in Hogwarts. Something he could not resist: the Philosopher's Stone."

Gareth's eyes widened. "You...you have one here?" He whispered.

The aged Headmaster nodded. "Yes. The only known one in existence. It belongs to my good friend, Nicholas Flamel. He agreed to let me keep it here to keep it safe and draw Voldemort out if he is still living."

Gareth slowly stood, and began to pace. "A Philosopher's Stone...incredible." He whispered. "The knowledge to make them was rare indeed even before The Fall. But the knowledge was completely lost with Rome's destruction and only Merlin retained the process of making one. How did Flamel find the instructions?" He asked half to himself.

Dumbledore gave him a slightly amused looked. "Perhaps you can ask him one day. I shall introduce you two, but for now we should return to our business. Per the agreement made between the Ministry of Magic and the Battle Mages, I have informed you of this potential danger so that you might warn Harry. I cannot stop you from revealing that the Stone is here, or that Voldemort may come to get it. But I do ask you try to only tell him that there is danger here, if possible."

Gareth stopped, and looked at him. "I'm sorry Dumbledore, but Harry is like a son to me. I will tell him everything he needs to know in order to survive. But I won't tell him until Christmas Break, if it will make you happy."

Dumbledore sighed softly. "I understand. I simply wish to give the boy a normal childhood, while he has the chance. Burdens like this should not rest on shoulders so young."

Gareth smiled sadly. "Harry already has a burden on his shoulder. This simply is part of that burden."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "He is a good person though. Thank you for giving him a happy life so far."

Gareth bowed his head, as he turned and left. Dumbledore let out a soft sigh.

_In Potions Class_

Harry blew on his hands, and held them close to the fire under his and Neville's cauldron, as they let their potion simmer. While he was used to cold Scottish winters, the dungeons of Hogwarts were almost completely unbearable, due to cold stone walls and the damp that easily sank through the crevices.

As the bell rang, Snape stood before them all. "Leave a vial of your potion on my desk. I expect a roll of parchment explaining the properties and uses of the Herbs located throughout the United Kingdom."

Harry sighed as he took the vial up and placed it on the desk. Neville was busy stuffing his books and supplies into his bag. Despite the confidence he had gained from his friendship with Harry, Neville was still scared of Snape.

Hermione joined them as they left the classroom, and walked up the stairs to the main level of the castle. They were stopped by a large tree, with a huffing voice behind it. "That you Hagrid?" Harry asked.

The hairy face came from around the tree. "Oh Harry. Good to see you lad. Sorry, be outta of the way in a minute."

"What's the hold up here?" Came the drawling voice of Draco, as he, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared behind the trio of friends. "Oh. It's Potty and his lap dogs. Looking for a job already Longbottom? I doubt you have the brains even to be the Groundskeeper."

Neville looked away, flushing in embarrassment. Harry growled though, as he turned. "At least Neville doesn't need his daddy bailing him out of everything, Draco. Do you need to write him every day and ask him to send a servant to wipe your nose?"

Draco flushed angrily. "Watch your mouth Potter, or I'll-."

"You'll what Draco? Write your dad? Hire some cronies to attack me? Face it Draco. You're a coward." Harry said.

Draco grabbed his wand and was about to cast a spell when Harry grabbed his wrist. At that moment, Snape was coming up the stairs.

"What's this? Fighting. Potter, did you start this?" He asked silkily. Harry backed off.

"Draco drew his wand on Harry sir, after Malfoy insulted Neville." Hagrid said, setting his tree down. Snape glanced at him.

"Undoubtedly, Mr. Malfoy had good cause. I'm sure I heard Potter provoking him. And since no spell was fired, I see no reason to punish Mr. Malfoy." He said. "I would caution you though, Potter. If I catch you baiting my students again, I'll see to it you're expelled."

"Is this the quality of teachers here?" Came a new voce. Gareth walked over where he had been watching the whole proceedings. Harry's eyes widened, as Snape looked at the cloaked figure.

"And who are you?" He asked acidly. Gareth tilted his head.

"I'm Gareth Wallace, Harry's adopted father. And I saw this student attempt to attack my son. I expect to see some punishment, or else I will be forced to write a complaint to the Headmaster, and whoever else is in charge." He said, crossing his arms.

Snape gave him a cold glare. "...fine. 10 points from Slytherin. And 10 points from Gryffindor for your insults Potter." With that, he swept away, followed by a glaring Draco and his two cronies.

Gareth turned to Harry. "I'm disappointed in you Harry. While I admire you wanting to defend your friends, you should know better than to resort to using insults."

Harry lowered his head. "I'm sorry dad."

Gareth hugged his son. "Just don't do it again, except in a fight." He smiled. "Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

The black haired boy nodded. "Yeah. Dad, this is Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Hagrid. Guys, this is my dad Gareth Wallace, Master ranked Battle Mage of the United Kingdom Battle Mage Sanctuary."

The two kids slowly nodded in some awe, while Hagrid grinned at him. "Good to meet you sir. Fine job you did, raising young Harry. He's a good boy."

"Thank you Hagrid." He said, smiling. "And it's nice to meet you two as well."

They just nodded, and Gareth chuckled. "Well, I have to be off. Just coming from a meeting with Dumbledore. I'll see you at King's Cross for Christmas Break Harry." He said, hugging his adoptive son. Harry hugged him back, before Gareth headed off for the entrance hall. Harry grinned at them.

"He's cool right?" He asked. They both nodded.

"He seems so...confident and sure." Neville said in awe.

"And he felt so powerful." Hermione whispered.

Harry just chuckled, as did Hagrid. "Come on you three. You should see the Great Hall."

Hagrid led them to the Great Hall, and they stopped as soon as they entered the doorway. The room was decorated with holly and mistletoe, and twelve pine trees decorated with candles, icicles and other such things. They all just stared in awe, as Hagrid placed his tree with the others.

"This is incredible." Hermione whispered, as Flitwick began decorating the tree. Harry nodded.

"Yeah. It almost makes me wish I had chosen to stay." He said softly.

Neville smiled. "Don't worry. I'll tell you guys all about it when you get back."

Harry smiled. "I'll be looking forward to it."

They grinned, and headed off to the Common Room, to spend their last couple of days together.

_King's Cross Station, Platform 9 and 3/4's_

Harry slowly stepped off the train, lugging his trunk behind him as he did, and Hedwig's cage under his arm. He moved out of the way, allowing Hermione to get down behind him. They soon found their families.

Travis rushed over and hugged Harry. "You're home big brother!" He shouted, grinning. "How was school? What have you learned? What's it like? Who is this? Is she your friend?"

Harry chuckled. "Yeah Travis. She's my friend. Hermione, meet Travis Wallace, my brother. Travis, this is Hermione Granger, one of my friends."

Hermione smiled. "Hi there. It's nice to meet you."

Travis grinned. "It's nice to meet you too!" He grinned.

Hermione's parents came over. "Hermione, it's time to go." Her dad said, before smiling at Harry. "It's nice to meet you Harry. Thank you for saving my daughter."

Harry just smiled. "It was no problem sir."

Hermione smiled and hugged Harry. "I'll see you after Christmas Harry. Have a good holiday." She smiled, as she headed off.

Harry smiled, only to stop when he met his mother's gaze. She was standing there, tapping a foot. "We have a lot to talk about, Harry James Potter."

Harry just chuckled. "Umm...hi mom?" He said weakly. It faltered as she stalked towards him. _This is going to be a long Christmas, _he mentally whimpered to himself.

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**Well, here we are. The next Battle Mage chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.**

**Sorry about the short chapters lately.** **I've been having trouble really focusing on my stories of late, so my chapters are coming out a bit shorter. But don't worry. They'll keep coming.**

**So, please review, and thank you for reading.**


	6. Cloaks and Christmas

**As I'm writing this...I can't help but think about how fragile life is. And how the worst things can happen at the worst time.**

**Before I started writing this chapter, my mom had a stroke and went into a coma. On the 17 of December, she passed on, and is now buried in a place I know she would love to be in.**

**All I can say is...hold your loved ones close. You don't know when they might be taken away.**

**Anyways, I find it funny that this chapter starts with the Christmas month of Harry Potter, and I'm writing this during December.**

**So anyways, enjoy, and Merry Christmas to all!**

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**Chapter 6**

**Cloaks and Christmas**

Harry sighed in happiness as he dropped his things on his bed and stretchedhis muscles out, before falling onto his bed. He sighed again, just laying there.

Despite her fierce appearance when he saw her at the train station, his mom had actually just scolded him for getting into so much danger, before hugging him and proclaiming how pleased she was that she had raised such a good little hero. Then Travis had hugged him again, as they headed for the car.

He was disturbed from his rest by a sudden knock at his door. As he sat up, Gareth came in. "The Elders want to meet with you Harry. They wish to hear a report on your time at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, as he quickly got up. He grabbed his bracers, sword, and cloak, sliding them on. He adjusted his glasses and followed Gareth to the Chamber of the Elders.

Inside the Chamber, Harry bowed to the Elders, who nodded. "Welcome back, Acolyte Potter. Gareth has informed us of some of your more...'noticeable' actions at Hogwarts. We applaud your efforts, but we must advise caution. We do not want to risk an incident at Hogwarts," said Elder Kelly, one of the humans.

Harry nodded. "I understand, and thank you for your words, Elders."

The centaur, Elder Aran, shifted on his four legs. "Now, if you please. We would like to know more of your time there."

Harry nodded, and began telling them about his classes, what they were teaching, his teachers and fellow students, and the school itself.

As he finished, the Goblin Elder Gorath spoke. "Thank you for this, Acolyte Potter. This information will prove invaluable in our quest to further our new bond with the Ministry of Magic."

Harry nodded as he bowed. "I'm glad I could help you." With that, he was dismissed.

Outside, he found Gareth waiting. Harry smiled at him. "So what's up dad?"

Gareth took a deep breath. "Well...we have things we need to talk about. Then you can rest a bit before we get back to your training."

Harry nodded. "So what is this about?" he asked.

Gareth brought him over to an alcove. "What I'm about to tell you doesn't get spoken to anyone unless they're in danger because of it. Got it?"

Harry nodded, as Gareth continued. "Okay. What is it?"

Gareth sighed as he leaned back against the wall. "Right...Dumbledore called me in to his office before Christmas Break. He wanted to inform me about something, which I feel you need to know. Dumbledore believes that there is a chance Voldemort isn't fully dead."

Harry froze at this, and gave Gareth a frightened look. "A-Are you serious? How could he not be dead?"

Gareth shook his head. "I don't know. Neither does Dumbledore. He's not even sure if Voldemort is dead or alive. But he has set up a trap to test this theory. At the school, he has hidden away something of great value. A...an actual Philosopher's Stone." He said, almost excitedly.

As Harry's eyes widened, Gareth nodded. "I know. It's something Voldemort could not pass up, if he is still living. That's why you have to be careful."

Harry nodded. "I understand dad...but...he couldn't do it alone, could he? What if he has someone helping him?"

Gareth bit his lower lip. "I thought of that son. But Dumbledore trusts all his staff. All I can say is be careful, alright? I don't want you doing anything too dangerous."

Harry agreed. "Right dad. I won't do anything dangerous."

Gareth smiled. "Good. Now, how about you get freshened up and rested before training?"

Harry nodded, and smiled as Gareth hugged an arm around his shoulder. The two of them walked back to his room, talking happily.

About an hour later, Travis and Harry sat in front of Gareth at one of the training rooms. Gareth looked to them both. "Okay. Right now, we're going to work on your speed and agility. So I want you both to work out wearing these training weights" He said, placing weights at their feet.

They both put them on their legs and wrists, and stood slowly. Gareth nodded to them, before he began leading them through various exercises, to help them adjust to the weights.

Afterwards, he led them in laps around the room. By that time, both boys were panting and sweating heavily.

When they finished, both of them collapsed on the ground. Gareth grinned at them. "Looks like your stamina needs some work too." He said, as they slowly sat up.

Gareth pulled out a couple of training swords and tossed them to both of them. "Okay then. Let's see you two fight."

The two of them took the swords, and faced each other. They waited, till Gareth signaled them.

Travis attacked first, striking high. Harry blocked, both straining with their weights. Travis tried to attack again, and Harry blocked, counter striking. Travis poorly blocked, and his weapon was knocked aside. But Harry was overbalancing due to the weights, so he couldn't follow up with his next attack.

Travis tried to attack quickly, and Harry blocked with the weight covered bracer. He grunted at the hit, before striking back.

The two of them went at it for a half hour, striking and blocking. By the end of the half hour, the two of them had grown somewhat accustomed to the weights, causing somewhat smoother movements and faster attacks and blocks.

They both finally came to a draw, unable to gain an advantage over the other. Harry had an extra year of experience over Travis, but this was somewhat lessened by Travis having more time to train with their dad at the Sanctuary, while Harry was at school.

Gareth nodded to them both. "Well done. From now on, I want you both to wear weights during training and when you're at the Sanctuary. Understood?"

As they both nodded, Gareth handed them both towels and water bottles. When they had finished toweling off and drinking some water, he nodded to the door. "Okay then. Let's get up to the library for some studies, and then we'll start work on your magic tomorrow." He said.

Harry sighed as they headed off. "From one school to another." He muttered softly. Travis weakly laughed as they headed to the library.

The following days were much the same. When Harry wasn't busy with the homework given to him by his teachers at Hogwarts, he was busy training and studying Magus history and magic. Travis was working alongside him, though on less advanced studies and magic, since he was still an Apprentice.

Marian had been happily preparing for the coming holiday, making sweets and wrapping presents when she wasn't training. Gareth had been at her side, doing the same.

As the middle of December approached, Harry again found himself the center of attention. The reason why was simple, but it was still shocking.

Every Summer and Winter Solstice, the Elders of the various Battle Mage Sanctuaries would gather in secret locations to discuss the various news and events that had happened during the six months between meetings. The top Masters, and any Mages with important news would accompany them. Newgrange, an ancient burial mound, was the gathering site of the Battle Mages of the British Isles, France, the Iberian Peninsula, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland.

At these meeting places, one or more of the most ancient and wisest of the Battle Mage Orders would preside over the meetings. These beings were the Sages: men, women, or beings who had mastered almost everything the Mages studied.

This particular year, Harry found himself accompanying Gareth, a few of the other Masters, and the three human Elders of the Sanctuary to the airport. There, they flew to Ireland, before making the drive to Newgrange.

As night fell on the 21st of December, the Mages made their way to the burial mound. They entered it, and made their way to the central chamber, where an opening could be seen in the floor. They entered it, heading down a dimly lit staircase. The entrance sealed behind them.

The staircase slowly opened to reveal a rather large and spacious cavern, with a round stone table in the center. Here, the Elders would sit, with their Masters and other Mages seated behind them.

At the opposite end of the table sat an ancient looking figure wearing a gold cloak. A long flowing white beard appeared from out of his hood, and trailed down to his stomach.

Around him were the Elders from the other countries. Some of them had translators, since most of those present spoke English, but some still didn't.

They all nodded as the group sat down in the seats for the United Kingdom Battle Mage Sanctuary.

As they did, the Sage slowly stood. He looked at those present, before speaking in a voice that carried the weight of over a century of experience and wisdom. "Welcome. It is good to see everyone gathered here again." He said.

The Elders each gave their own welcome, before the Sage continued. "Before we begin, I have updates from the other Sanctuaries. The Northeastern Sanctuaries have reported an increase in werewolf activity in the recent months. They are beginning to migrate to the west here, so we might want to watch out in the European mainland countries."

He looked towards the Elders of France and Germany, as their Sanctuaries held the greatest power in the northwestern countries of mainland Europe. Then he continued. "Greece has also reported a Manticore has been ravaging a village in the mountains. Romania has also reported an increase in vampire attacks. The Americas, Africa, and Far East don't have much to report on, but Russia has reported a possible Dark Wizard gaining power. They're already moving to stop him."

He slowly sat down. "Now, what news from our sanctuaries here in this region?"

The French Elder slowly stood, and spoke in slightly accented English. "We do not have much to report on, though we have noticed an increased movement of wizards in areas considered to be dark by the Magical Community."

The other Elders reported similar things. Not much was happening, except gatherings of wizards and witches in places that had been known Dark Wizard locations back during the war against Voldemort.

They finally reached the United Kingdom Elders. Elder Kelly slowly stood up.

"My fellow Mages. For the past several months, we have continued our negotiations with the Ministry of Magic in London, finalizing our alliance with them. And as many of you know, the talks with the International Confederation of Wizards have been going good as well. There are two other things that should be brought up, and they are jointly related."

He indicated Harry, who shakily rose, barely suppressing his awe and nervousness. He bowed to all those present, as Kelly continued. "As I mentioned during the Summer Solstice meeting, Acolyte Potter began attending the Wizarding School known as Hogwarts in September. In his time there, he has begun learning about the Wizarding world."

"What I wished to bring up was something that the Headmaster of Hogwarts informed Master Gareth of before the school began Christmas break. He informed Gareth of a theory and fear he has involving the Dark Wizard Voldemort. From what we've learned thus far, Voldemort was thought to be killed during his attack on Acolyte Potter 10 years ago. However a body was never found. Headmaster Dumbledore believes that it's possible Voldemort survived, possibly in only a spirit form. He believes this Dark Wizard to be out there still, waiting for a chance to regain his body."

"The other thing Headmaster Dumbledore brought up was bait he laid out to test his theory and fear. He recently has acquired something that was thought to not exist anymore. A Philosopher's Stone." He said.

There were many gasps and excited voices at the mention of this. Eventually, they quieted down, as the Sage nodded to Elder Kelly to continue. The Elder bowed his head in thanks. "As of now, we are unsure of what is to happen. But what I do know is that we cannot let Voldemort, or anyone with selfish or evil intent obtain such an artifact. With the permission of this group, I will send a request to Headmaster Dumbledore that members of the United Kingdom Sanctuary be allowed to remain in the nearby town of Hogsmeade, to ensure that the Stone is not removed from Hogwarts without permission."

The various mages looked at each other. A few felt that such an artifact should be placed under the care of the Mages, who had been gathering the most powerful or magical artifacts in history, for safe keeping. However, they could not demand such a thing either, as it would look bad on their part.

After much discussion, the Sage slowly nodded. "You have our permission. I will consult the other Sages, and we shall discuss this new development."

Elder Kelly nodded, and sat down, as did Harry. The Sage looked around to all those gathered. "If there is no new information, then we shall convene this meeting. However, I do wish to give this warning. The other Sages and I have felt a shift in the balance of magic. Something is coming. It is possible that the prophecy is drawing closer. All of us must be prepared for what is to come, especially you Acolyte Potter. If the prophecy is true, you'll be the one to save us all."

Harry bowed his head, as the weight of those words descended on him. Then he looked up as he heard the old Sage chuckle. "But do not let it burden you so! You are still very young, and should enjoy life!" He said with a grin.

Harry just looked at him, as the Sage looked around. "Until the Summer Solstice then. May the Elements watch over you."

Everyone also spoke the parting phrase and slowly filed out in small groups, so as not to attract attention. Harry's mind was filled with thoughts about what the Sage had said. He felt overwhelmed by it all. He knew about the prophecy, but hadn't given it much thought. Now though, after hearing what he had in that meeting about dark forces on the move, his mind could think of nothing else.

He looked up a he felt Gareth wrap an arm around him. "Don't worry Harry. Like the Sage said, you're young still. Relax and enjoy life." He said, grinning.

Harry nodded. "Thanks dad." He said, smiling. The two walked with their comrades back to the hotel they were staying in.

_UK Battle Mage Sanctuary, December 25__th_

Harry groaned softly, as his eyes slowly opened. They shot open when he saw the time, and he sat up, grinning. It was Christmas morning.

He shot out of bed, and quickly donned some sweat pants and a shirt. He then shot out into the living room of the apartment the Wallace family lived in within the Sanctuary.

In the living room was a Christmas Tree, festooned with decorations and lit candles. Under it was a number of presents. And sitting around the living room was his parents and Travis.

He grinned at them. "Happy Christmas guys!" He said, hugging Gareth, Marian, and then Travis.

They wished him a Happy Christmas as well, before all of them moved over to the tree. Under it was a large number of wrapped gifts. Gareth raised a hand. "Okay. Since Travis played Santa last year, I'll do it." He said, as he knelt down, and began rummaging through the presents. He handed one to Travis who tore into it, revealing the present to be a hardback edition of _Redwal__l_. Travis grinned excitedly. During a recent trip to the nearest Muggle Town, Travis had hung out in the library. He had found this book, a fantasy written by Brian Jacques. He had skimmed it, then sat down and really began to read it. By the time he had to leave, he was hooked.

Gareth grinned as he handed Harry a present. Harry opened the rather boxy gift to find a case full of sword and armor treatment supplies. He smiled at Gareth and Marian, who smiled back.

Gareth continued handing out presents, one at a time. Soon, they had all amassed a collection of various presents, ranging from clothes to useful items to books.

Harry grinned as he unwrapped a book called _The History of The Wizarding World's Most Ancient Sites_. It was a gift from Hermione, and also came with a 10 Galleon gift card to Flourish and Blotts. He grinned, as he set them aside.

His next present was a rather large box. He picked it up, and was surprised to feel it tremble, as if something was moving inside. He reached for the wrapping paper, pulling it off to reveal a sturdy box. On top of it were a book and a note from Neville.

He took the note and read it. '_Dear Harry. Happy Christmas! I remember you talking about how working with plants relaxed you, so I thought you might like this! It's a cutting of a Whomping Willow, which my Aunt takes care of. She sent it to me, and I sent it to you. She says it's to be used for Wizarding Bonsai, based off the Japanese art of Bonsai_. _So I thought you would enjoy it. There's also a book to help you along! Happy Christmas, and see you when the school year begins again.'_

Harry blinked, and picked up the book. "_The Art of Magical Midget Plants_ by Algernon Chacim. Interesting." He said, as he set it aside, and opened the box. He had to move his head as a small branch shot at him in a punching motion. He quickly closed the box, while Travis and Gareth laughed.

Harry sighed as he looked at the last present of his. When it was his turn, he took it from Gareth. He blinked at how light it felt, and slowly unwrapped it. He blinked as something slipped out. He slowly picked it up, to reveal a silvery cloak.

Everyone in the room blinked at it. "What is that?" Travis asked. Harry shrugged, as he spun it around, and slipped it on. In an instant, the three other people in the room gasped.

Harry blinked at them. "What?" He asked, before looking down. His eyes widened, as he realized he couldn't see anything of himself from the neck down. He let go of the cloak, and it fell away.

Gareth picked the cloak up. "I've heard about these...Invisibility Cloaks. Very rare." He whispered. Harry tore through the wrapping paper and come up with a card that was written with a hand that wrote in a looping fashion.

"_Your father left this in my possession, before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it wisely. A Very Merry Christmas to you._" He read.

Marian looked at it. "So we don't know who sent it?" She asked. Harry shook his head, as Gareth handed it back.

"A truly wonderful gift Harry. Take care of it." He said. Harry just nodded numbly, as he held it. His father owned this. His real father. He hugged it to himself, as he slowly sat down.

Marian came and hugged him to her side. He snuggled there, still hugging the cloak to his chest. He looked up at her, and smiled. "This was my dad's...this was his." He said.

Marian smiled and nodded as he slowly stood. He hugged her, Travis, and Gareth, and headed into his room with his presents. Travis looked confused, but Gareth and Marian understood. Harry needed some time.

In his room, Harry was crying softly, as he lay on his bed, hugging the cloak to him. He had heard so much about his parents, from friends of the family, and teachers at Hogwarts. But to actually have something of theirs', to actually have a piece of his family with him, it was the greatest thing he could ever ask for. He slowly looked up, smiling through his tears.

"Happy Christmas Mom. Happy Christmas Dad." He whispered.

_Hogwarts Express_

It was January 5th, and Harry, along with the other Hogwarts students who had gone home for the holidays, was on his way back to Hogwarts. He sighed to himself as he looked out the window. In the luggage rack above, his trunk swayed lightly. In it was the Miniature Whomping Willow, which had nearly given him a black eye when he had tried to trim it. His father's cloak was also in there, hidden in a special box in the bottom of it.

He smiled as Hermione came in to the compartment. She grinned as she sat down. "Thanks for the book Harry!" She said, as she pulled said book from her book bag. It was one of the numerous copies of the history of the Mages, written by an unknown author in the early 1900's. She eagerly cracked it back open and began reading.

Harry chuckled softly. "I should be thanking you." He said. "Your present will help pay for the next couple of years worth of school books, and a really cool history book. I haven't even heard of some of the places in it." He said.

Hermione blushed lightly, but smiled. 'Thanks Harry. Glad you liked it."

Harry smiled, only for that smile to fade as the door to the compartment opened, and in stepped Malfoy and his two goons. "Well well well. If it isn't Potty and the Beaver."

Hermione flushed in embarrassment, and looked down. Harry just looked at him. "Really...that's it? That's all you could come up with?" He asked, standing.

Goyle and Crabbe tried to move in front of Draco, but couldn't due to the narrow confines of the compartment door. Which Draco was in. Draco's eyes widened as Harry got right in front of him.

"Funny how those doors work, right? Only one person can get in or out. Meaning I could wail on you right now, and your friends couldn't even stop me. But I won't because I'm better than that. And Hermione is too. You...all you've got going are a fortune and a name, Draco. Take that away and you're nothing but a worthless bully with no skills, no real friends, and no courage." He said.

Draco snarled and went for his wand, only for Harry to grab his right arm with his left. At the same time, Harry twisted his right arm, putting one of his gifts from Gareth to use.

Out of his right sleeve shot his wand and he raised it, pointing it at Draco's throat. "You never learn, do you?" He growled threateningly. Draco was sweating up a storm, as he stared at the wand.

Harry was silent, before grinning. "Boo!" He shouted.

Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco shot back in fear and surprise, crashing into the opposite wall .They fell into a heap, and Harry chuckled, as he closed the door behind him.

As he sat down, he saw Hermione still had her head down, as she ran a hand over her mouth. He sighed softly. "C'mon Hermione. Don't let them get to you. I honestly don't see anything wrong with your teeth."

She still looked down, so he gently lifted her chin up. "Hermione...most people don't even notice. And even if they do, it's not what you look like that counts. It's what's on the inside, okay?"

She looked up, and slowly nodded, sniffling a bit. "T-Thanks Harry." She said, smiling. "How did you do that thing with your wand?" She asked.

He grinned and gave her a small hug, and then sat back, rolling up his sleeve to show an arm holster for his wand. "It's a quick release holster. You move your arm a certain way, it releases the wand, allowing for quick draws." He rolled his sleeve back down. "You think Neville missed us?" He asked.

She giggled. "I think he had plenty of fun on his own." She said.

Harry chuckled, as the train rolled along, heading back to Hogwarts. He smiled as he looked back outside. _I wonder what else this year has in store for me?_

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**Hmmmm...the ending definitely feels off to me. Sorry about that.**

**And sorry about this chapter being shorter than normal, and extremely late. Just had bad motivation problems, and lots of distractions.**

**Assassin's Creed; Brotherhood, and StarCraft2 will do that to you. And I still have Halo: Reach to play.**

**But seriously...my writing might be slowed down even more now. The sad truth is...my mom was the one who got me writing. It started off as a home schooling project, and end of the year type of thing. Write my own original story. After that...it became a hobby. One I really enjoy.**

**Now that she's gone...I still want to write but...well, part of what made it so fun is gone.**

**I'm sorry. I promise I'll still keep writing. I just might be slower now. I'll try to be faster.**

**Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and WELCOME TO 2011!**


	7. Suspicions and Dragons

**Yo what's happening?** **You're listening to LR 105.5, you're local source for all things mundane, average, and Leafy!**

**Today we got a another installment of The Battle Mage of Hogwarts: Year 1. So let's get this party started right!**

**Okay seriously. Don't ask what that was all about. I felt weird when I wrote this part, so I went with it. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 7**

**Suspicions and Dragons**

Harry sighed to himself as he flopped down onto his bed, setting his school bag aside. It was the end of his first week of school since returning from Christmas break. The grounds of Hogwarts had been covered in ankle deep snow, which had made it hard for students to get to Herbology.

It had also made it harder for Harry to train outsidethe school. But the Battle Mage Acolyte had continued anyways, using this as a chance to train in less than optimal conditions. If there was one lesson he had learned, it was that not every situation would have the best conditions.

He groaned slightly as he sat up, rolling his shoulder and neck muscles to get rid of the kinks and stiffness in reached down, grabbing his bag and pulling out books and supplies he didn't need, before heading back down to the Common Room, where Hermione and Neville waited.

He sighed as he sat down with them. "Great first week, huh?" He asked them.

Neville nodded wearily, while Hermione smiled. "I know! Those reviews they gave us are really helpful. I never knew how much one could forget over such a short time." She said.

Neville and Harry both looked at her, and sighed."So what should we tackle first?" Harry asked them both.

Neville looked through their assignments. "Potions. Definitely." He said.

Snape had given them a rather nasty essay on the history of potion making during the Renaissance, and how key potion masters posed as doctors so they could continue their work in the open, without fear of being persecuted.

As they began working, Harry thought back to the day of his return. He had thanked Neville for his present, which he had set on his bedside table, and had already started trimming.

Of course, the return to Hogwarts had meant the return to dealing with Malfoy's sneers, Snape's unfair treatment, and Ron's jealously. All three he could do without.

Oliver Wood had generously given the team the week off from training, to allow them to get back to school schedules. However, he had promised that training would pick up as soon as possible. Harry shuddered at the thought. Wood was a hard task master, and added with the homework they were getting, he would definitely be busy. Too busy to be worrying about the Philosopher's Stone hidden in the third corridor.

He sighed softly, as he looked back at the history book he was flipping through. "Here we go. It was rumored that Lorenzo de Medici's personal physician was a wizard who secretly fed him potions that allowed him to sway Lorenzo for his own aims. He was eventually discovered and was burned at the stake."

Neville and Hermione nodded as they jotted it down. Harry sighed as he did as well. "Well, only two and six-eights more parchment to go." He muttered. "Welcome back to Hogwarts." He muttered.

Elsewhere in the castle, Malfoy smirked as he practiced a spell he had begun learning over Christmas Break. One that he was sure would put Potter back in his place.

He looked to Crabbe and Goyle, who were the test dummies of the spell. "I do believe it's ready." He said, as they both dumbly nodded.

_Three Weeks Later_

It was the last practice for the Gryffindor team before their match against Hufflepuff. Oliver was talking to someone on the ground of the pitch, while the rest of the team finished their maneuvers. Or in the case of the Weasley Twins, pretending to dive bomb each other and fall off their brooms.

Harry smirked as he watched them, before Oliver stepped over and waved for them all to land. "Let's move people!" He shouted.

One by one they landed. Oliver nodded. "I just got some interesting news. It seems Professor Snape, for whatever reason, requested that he be made referee for the next match." There were grumbles and surprised muttering, before Oliver continued. "Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore denied his request, stating that it would not be fair to let the Head of one of the Houses referee a match. So we managed to dodge the bullet on that one. Still, I want everyone to be wary of some foul play the Slytherin's will try before the match."

They all nodded, and Oliver dismissed them.

As Harry hiked back up towards the castle, his mind turned to what he had just heard. His thoughts began to go to what he had heard between Snape and Quirrell after his first Quidditch Match.

_Could this mean Snape is trying to get at me again? No. That would be stupid, trying to kill me in front of the entire school like that. He could just be trying to ruin Gryffindor's chances at the cup. But wouldn't it be easier to just give me detention? There isn't a reserve Seeker for the team._ Harry mentally sighed, as he entered the Entrance Hall, his mind still confused.

He had barely stepped inside when a sixth sense he had developed during his spars with Travis and Gareth kicked in, and he ducked behind a column. Even then, the spell sent at him grazed his right leg, and it froze up. He mentally cursed, as he heard a drawling sneer come the other side of the Hall.

"Not bad Potter. You managed to dodge my spell. Or did you?" Draco sneered, as he languidly strolled towards the column.

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to move his leg. He glanced around the column, seeing Draco raise his wand again as he prepared to come around. Harry took a deep breath, and muttered softly under his breath.

Draco smirked as he came around, pointing his wand at Harry. "Looks like you're not as strong as you make yourself out to be." He said, as he raised his wand. "_Locomotor Mortis!_"

As Draco fired the spell at Harry, Harry swept one hand to the side. As he did, a ball of wind smashed into Draco's wand hand, moving it to one side. The spell shot into the column, dissipating harmlessly as Harry held out his hand again. "_Flabra Glandis! (Wind Blast)_"

Draco was knocked back, his wand knocked form his hand. Harry grunted, as he hobbled over to Draco and put his dead leg on the blonde boy's arm. Draco glared up at Harry, as the raven haired boy glared back. "I suggest you don't do that again Draco. It's getting tiring beating your butt." He said, as he then began to hobble away.

Draco just sneered at Harry's back. "One day Potter. You'll see. One day."

Harry sighed, as he finally reached the Gryffindor Common room, and stumbled in. Hermione looked up from the book she was reading as she heard him come in, and her eyes widened when she saw him. "What happened?" She asked, as she rushed over.

As Harry explained, she pulled out her wand and waved it over his leg, performing the counter curse. He sighed, flexing his leg before sitting down. "That little rat still doesn't have the courage to fight like a real man." He said, as he looked up at Hermione.

Hermione just looked at him. "You shouldn't be fighting him at all." She scolded lightly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "So I should let him just walk over me and let him think he owns the school?"

The bushy haired brunette sighed. "Just be careful you're not caught." She said, as she finished.

Harry nodded and leaned back. As Hermione settled back in front of her work, Harry brought up what had been troubling him. "Professor Snape requested he be made referee of the next Quidditch Match." He said.

Hermione looked up, her eyes wide. "What? Why?"

Harry shrugged. "No clue. Most of the team thinks he's just trying to be unfair, but I think it has to do with what happened last time. Remember when I told you I overhead him talking to Quirrell?"

Hermione nodded as Harry sighed and leaned forward. "I think he's up to something. And it has to do with me, and possibly what's in the Forbidden Corridor."

Hermione bit her lip. "If only we knew what was done there. Maybe we could do something...without breaking the rules, of course." She added quickly. Harry just smiled at her.

"We'll worry about that later. For now, I've got homework to do, and another glorious victory to prepare for!" He said, striking a triumphant pose.

The crumpled paper ball to the face made him blink, as Hermione smirked, looking over her work. He chuckled as he sat back down, starting his own work.

_Day of the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Match_

The stands surrounding the Quidditch Pitch were again filled with the students and faculty of Hogwarts. The Gold and Scarlet of Gryffindor clashed against the Yellow and Black of Hufflepuff.

On the field, fourteen students were zooming around the field, entering the second half of the first hour of the match. Hufflepuff's may not have been considered the smartest students of Hogwarts, but their hard work and loyalty to each other worked well for their Quidditch team. Unlike Slytherin, who went with size and power, Hufflepuff's team members had worked hard to perfect their teamwork and skills.

Harry circled the pitch from above, keeping his eyes open for the Snitch. He had already found it three times, but twice he had been stopped by Bludgers, and the other time he had barely begun his dive when the whistle blew, signaling Hufflepuff was calling for a timeout.

He noticed that the Hufflepuff Seeker was spending half his time watching Harry, while keeping lower. This would give the Hufflepuff Seeker a small advantage. Harry would more than likely have farther to go when he saw the Snitch. But Harry's higher altitude meant he could get more speed in a dive.

Harry decided to lose his tail. He leaned over, banking, before diving steeply. The Seeker saw this, and wildly scanned the direction Harry was diving, before doing the same. Harry smirked, rolling out of his dive and leveling out, scanning quickly. His grin widened as he saw a sparkle of gold and shot towards it, near the Gryffindor goal posts.

He dove down towards it, leaning down low against his broom, only for his eyes to widen as he suddenly found himself flying amidst the Hufflepuff Chasers. The three students looked at him, and then began tossing the Quaffle between themselves at high speed, forcing Harry to juke and dodge to keep from being hit.

As this was happening, the Hufflepuff Seeker had pulled up, and spotted Harry, before he saw the Snitch. He shot towards it, picking up speed.

Harry cursed as he rolled to avoid another Quaffle pass. He tried pulling up, only to dodge away as one of the Chasers moved to block him.

Suddenly, a Bludger came shooting in, hitting one of the Chasers in the gut. Harry saw Fred or George grinning triumphantly as the Quaffle was dropped into the waiting arms of Katie Bell. Harry shot forward, making up lost ground.

The Hufflepuff Seeker cursed and tried to urge his broom on faster. It wouldn't be any use though, as he was on a Nimbus 1700. While not a slow broom, it just couldn't match its younger sibling, the Nimbus2000 that Harry was riding on. Harry easily pulled ahead, and snatched up the Snitch, which was fluttering near the lower part of the left hand goal post. He shot triumphantly into the air, clenching the golden ball in his hand, as the scoreboard flashed the end results: GRYFFINDOR-190 HUFFLEPUFF-30.

Harry landed as the crowd came running out to the field. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor players were swept onto their shoulders as they cheered in victory.

A few hours later, Harry emerged from the locker rooms, having taken a nice long shower. He held his Nimbus2000 over his shoulder, smiling. That smile faded as he saw a cloaked figure rushing towards the woods. A figure with the same gait as Snape.

He bit his lip before mounting his broom and took off, heading after the figure.

The cloaked figure disappeared into the woods and Harry slowly tried to follow above him. But the trees became so thick that he was unable to see his quarry anymore. So instead, he listened to the noises of the forest. He soon heard twigs cracking and leaves rustling. Grinning, he followed it.

When the noise stopped, he slowly descended on his broom, landing in a tree. He slowly moved forward, until the branches and leaves cleared to reveal a shadowy clearing. In it stood the cloaked figure and Quirrell.

Harry blinked in some surprise and listened to the conversation between the two of them.

"I d-d-don't know w-why you wanted to meet o-o-out here, S-Severus." Quirrell stammered out, seeming even more nervous than usual. The cloaked figure, now identified as Snape, tilted his head slightly.

"I thought we should have this conversation in private. After all students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone currently residing in the castle. Especially considering someone tried to steal it from Gringott's, and escaped being captured." The Potions master said, his voice icy.

Harry blinked in surprise at that last bit of news. He shook his head, as Quirrell mumbled something under his breath, only to be interrupted by Snape.

"Have you found a way around the troublesome mutt of Hagrid's yet?" He whispered silkily. Quirrell shivered at the voice.

"W-Why would I-?" The nervous teacher said, only to be cut off.

"You don't want me as an enemy, Quirrell. Trust me. I'm also waiting on information concerning your little bit of magic as well."

Quirrell shook his head. "I-I-I don't-."

"It seems you need more time to decide where your loyalties lie. We'll have another little chat soon. Decide then." He said, as he disappeared. Quirrell slumped to the ground.

Above them, Harry remained still, waiting for both to disappear. He soon shot off towards the castle, forgetting to lock his broom away in the broom shed.

He burst into the Common Room, where Neville and Hermione were waiting. They both grinned at him, only to stop seeing the look in his eyes. "Harry, what's up?" Neville asked.

Harry simply dragged them both to a secluded corner. "Guys, I need to tell you something. You have to promise not to tell anyone else though. Swear it." He said.

They both blinked in surprise, but nodded as they made the promise. Harry took a deep breath, and began explaining everything to them.

When he finished, Neville and Hermione sat there in shock. "You mean Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone is hidden here in Hogwarts? And Snape is trying to get it?" Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded. "He tried to get past Fluffy on Halloween. I'm not sure if he let the troll in or not, but he used the distraction it caused. And it also seems that there are other defenses in place."

Both his friends nodded softly. "We need to find out more." Hermione said. "We can't just go and accuse a Professor of Hogwarts simply on circumstantial evidence."

Harry agreed. "I'll owl my dad. See if he can't offer advice or help. For now, let's keep our ears and eyes open." He said.

They all nodded, before putting the subject behind them, and joining in the celebration of Gryffindor's victory.

However, chances to find out more information became scarce. As winter faded away, and spring began, the teachers began increasing the workload of all their students, to get them ready for their final exams.

The three friends were in the library, with ten weeks left till the finals. Outside it was a blue sky, with nice warm weather and lazy clouds drifting by. Harry stared outside longingly, before returning to his Herbology homework. However, he saw some movement in one of the rows of shelves, and looked up in time to see Hagrid trying to sneak out of their sight. "Hagrid?"

Hagrid blinked, trying to hide something behind his back. "Oh hi Harry. How you doin'?" He asked, trying to keep his front to them.

Harry looked at him with some confusion. "We're working. Studying for finals and stuff." He said. "Listen. We need to talk to you about your 'fluffy' friend." He said.

Hagrid scowled slightly. "I thought I told yeh to drop that?"

Hermione and Neville looked at each other, before Neville spoke up. "We were, except Harry learned some new information. Something we need to talk to you about."

Hagrid growled. "Fine. Come an' see me later." He said, as he tried to hurriedly leave the library.

Hermione watched him go, and then went to look in the section Hagrid had been in. She soon came back, her eyes wide. "He was reading about dragons." She said, placing a book about dragon species of Great Britain and Ireland down in front of them.

Harry and Neville looked at each other. "Didn't Hagrid say he always wanted a dragon that one time we visited him?" Neville asked.

Harry sighed. "Looks like we have two things to talk to him about."

An hour later, they were approaching Hagrid's hut, which had all the windows drawn, and smoke almost billowing from the chimney. Hagrid quickly let them in after making sure it was them at the door.

As they sat down, Hagrid moved in front of the roaring fire. "Now, what did yeh want to tell me?" He asked.

Harry took a deep breath. "Hagrid...I think Professor Snape is going to try and steal the Philosophers stone. I know you trust him because Professor Dumbledore does, but...I heard him almost threaten Quirrell, telling him to hurry and give him information on how to get past Fluffy and Quirrell's own bit of magic. I assume it means others are protecting the Stone, not just you two?"

Hagrid sighed, running a hand through his beard. He finally looked at them. "Alright...I can't tell yeh what is protecting the Stone. Only who is protecting it. Besides mehself and Quirrell, there's also Professor's Flitwick, McGonagall and Snape. Oh and Professor Dumbledore, of course." He said.

The three friends looked at each other when they heard Snape was one of the protectors. Harry looked to Hagrid. "And you're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy?" He asked.

Hagrid nodded. "Mehself and Dumbledore. That's all." He said. He was about to say more, when a rattling came from behind him.

The three friends blinked, and looked around Hagrid. They saw a pot sitting in the flames. And something poking out of the pot. "Hagrid...what is that?" Hermione asked.

Hagrid waved a hand. "Nothin'! It's nothin'!" He said, trying to move in the way. Unfortunately, Hermione had managed to get a good enough look.

"Hagrid...that's a dragon egg. And not only that...it looks like a Norwegian Ridge Back egg." She said. "You can tell by the ash black coloring with gray flecks."

"Aren't dragons illegal to raise?" Harry asked. Hagrid ignored Harry.

Hagrid sighed. "Okay okay. Yes it's an egg. Won it last night in a game o' cards with a chappie who bought me some drinks. He seemed pretty glad to get rid o' hit."

Neville looked at Hagrid. "...Hagrid...you live in a wooden house, you know? Next to a large forest."

Hagrid blinked at him. "Yeah. What's yer point?"

Neville stared at Hagrid before sighing. "Never mind."

_Two weeks later_

The three of them were sitting at breakfast when Hedwig arrived with a note written in Hagrid's untidy scrawl. On it were two words: _It's Hatching_.

The three of them looked at each other. "I don't think we should go." Hermione said. "I mean, it would be fascinating to see, but we have classes today." She said.

Neville bit his lip. "We could go during morning break. We'd have time to get back."

Harry nodded. "Besides, it would be quite a sight. And we could maybe also try to figure out how to convince Hagrid it wouldn't be a smart idea to keep it."

Hermione sighed. "Okay. But we'll need to be quick." She said.

Harry and Neville grinned, as they got up to head for their first class. None of them noticed the blonde hair boy smirking as he listened to their conversation.

The three of them waited for their first class, Herbology to end. When it did, they raced towards Hagrid. He quickly let them in, and pointed to the table, where the egg was at. "It's almost out." He said.

They all gathered around it, as the egg wobbled, and the cracks forming in it lengthened. Slowly, one of the cracks widened, before the whole egg split apart, and out rolled a wet, black leathery mass.

The baby dragon flopped around for a few moments. It had a skinny jet black body with huge wings, stubby horns, and bulging orange eyes. It let out a sneeze, causing a few embers to shoot out.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid said, his eyes glazed. He touched the dragon, and it sniffed at him for a moment, before snapping at him. "Bless him, he knows his mommy."

Harry, Hermione, and Neville looked uneasily at each other. "Umm...Hagrid...how long do you think you'll be able to hide him? I mean...he's growing to grow bigger isn't he?"

Hargrid smiled. "Oh don't worry. I'll...I'll..." Hagrid trailed off as he looked to one of the windows. The curtain wasn't fully closed, and a pale blue eye was looking through the gap. Immediately it disappeared, as Hagrid moved to the window. Neville looked at him.

"What's wrong Hagrid?" He asked.

Hagrid turned to them, a look of fear on his face. "Someone was lookin' through the window...he ran back to the school."

Harry cursed as he bolted to the door and yanked it open. The figure was already halfway back to the school when they turned around. Harry would never be able to mistake the sneer on their face and the pale blond hair.

"It's Malfoy." He said as he entered. He kicked the chair he had been sitting in. "Dammit." He muttered.

Hagrid bit his lip. "Malfoy's boy? He saw?" He asked fearfully. Harry nodded.

"He did. And he'll use this to get at you or me. Hagrid, you can't keep the dragon. Not if you don't want to get into trouble." He said.

Hagrid shook his head. "I can't get rid of Norbert. He'll never survive." He said, as he moved over to the baby dragon. "Can't we do something?"

Harry closed his eyes for a second. "I think Fred and George mentioned having a brother who worked with dragons. But I don't know if he can help us...wait...I might have a solution. I need to write my dad though." He said. "Let's just hope Draco doesn't try anything before I get a response."

Hagrid bit his lip. "Okay Harry. I trust yeh."

Harry nodded softly, hoping he didn't end up betraying that trust.

The next few days were rough on Harry and his friends. Draco gave them confident sneers and such, but so far nothing had happened involving Hagrid and his dragon. Young Norbert had quickly grown in size, and was breathing fire already. Tiny puffs of flame, but still.

Harry finally got a response from his dad five days after he had sent the letter. Harry quickly tore it open.

_Dear Harry_

_I got your letter and after much deliberation, the Council has agreed to help your friend Hagrid by taking the dragon to the reserve the Norwegian Mages have constructed. They have many Ridgebacks there, so this Norbert will fit in after he's been given time to grow big enough to defend himself. However, we must do this carefully._

_Dumbledore agreed to having three Battle Mages stationed in Hogsmeade while the Stone was in Hogwarts. The three of them will be arriving in two days time. They'll take a tour of the Castle and Grounds. When that happens, you and Hagrid will have to sneak the dragon to them somehow._

_At the same time, a couple of the Battle Mages from Norway will_ _be in Hogsmeade. They'll take care of the dragon after that._

_I really wish you'd keep out of trouble though. I'd hate to cause an incident after finally sorting out the treaty with the Ministry of Magic._

_Mom says hi, as does Travis. Keep studying hard. And tell Hagrid that he'll be able to visit Norbert when he has vacation time._

_Love, Dad._

Harry discreetly showed the letter to Hermione and Neville. "We've got two days to figure this out." Neville said.

Hermione nodded. "We need to tell Hagrid. This won't be easy."

Harry nodded. "Agreed."

As lunch came around, the three of them rushed down to Hagrid's hut, making sure they weren't followed. Hagrid was saddened when he learned how soon he would have to give Norbert up, but was happy he would be able to visit him, and he would be raised by those who knew how to take care of him.

Harry kept praying Draco wouldn't make a move yet. The way he figured it, Draco was more interested in causing him and his friends pain, so he would use the info he had when it would hurt them. But if he thought he would lose his chance, he would still go after Hagrid.

Finally, the day came, and Dumbledore asked Harry to accompany him down to the gate on the edge of Hogwarts to greet the Mages. There, three cloaked figures waited. Two of them wore black cloaks, the color of Disciples. The third wore a Red Master cloak.

Harry bowed to them. "Master." He said, not having met this Master in person. The three of them bowed in return, as the Master looked to Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore, I presume? I am Master Kevin O'Malley." He said. "I'll be in charge of the Mages in Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore nodded. "A pleasure to meet you. If you'll please follow me, I'll show you around the school and grounds." He said.

The three mages followed him, with Harry falling in besides one of the Disciples. Said mage slipped a potion bottle into his hand.

As they entered Hogwarts, Neville was standing nearby. He headed over to Harry, and they brushed, Harry handing him the potion. Neville headed down to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid looked up. "It's about time." He whispered, as he had Norbert's meal ready. Neville handed him the potion, and he added it in, giving the meal of brandy and chicken to Norbert, who dug in happily.

About an hour later, the three Mages were led back to the grounds, so that they could meet Hagrid, who would try to help keep an eye on things. Hagrid came out to greet them, smiling as he warmly shook their hands. Dumbledore smiled at the three Mages. "Well gentlemen, I hope you find everything to your satisfaction, and we'll try to accommodate you to the best of our ability." He said, smiling warmly. "Harry, would you mind showing them out? I have things I need to take care of."

Harry nodded, as Dumbledore headed back to the school, only to stop and turn, smiling. "Oh and do be careful with the dragon. I'd hate for something to happen to him. Hagrid would be very upset." He said, his eyes twinkling.

The five of them stood there in stunned silence, as Dumbledore returned to the school. Hagrid finally shook his man. "Never misses a thing, that man. Greatest man ever."

Harry just weakly nodded." Yeah." He said, as the Mages retrieved the dragon from Neville, and headed off. He sighed. "I'm just glad everything worked out." He said.

Neville smiled slyly. "Well...not for everyone." He said.

Elsewhere in the castle, Draco Malfoy was in a bathroom scrubbing furiously at his face. The reason why was because across his face was written 'Tattletale'. He silently cursed when it wouldn't go away.

"I'll get you for this Potter. I swear I will." He murmured.

_Two weeks later_

Harry sighed to himself, as he sat on the grounds of hogwarts. It was Saturday, and he had spent a good deal of the day training. Now he was calmly meditating, reflecting on the past couple of weeks.

After being pranked, surprisingly by Hermione, Malfoy had approached Snape, telling him about Hagrid's dragon. Snape had gone to Dumbledore, and they had gone down to Hagrid's hut. There was no sign of Hagrid ever having had a dragon in his hut.

Snap had been torn between punishing Malfoy for making him look like a fool, and hurting his House's current point standing. They were second only to Gryffindor, and not by that much. In the end, he had given Malfoy detention for one night, in which Malfoy had simply had to help him grading papers.

Malfoy had glared murderously at Harry and his friends the next day, and Snape seem to pick up on it, as he did the same. But with no proof beyond Draco's words, they were safe.

Harry smiled, as Gareth had sent a letter a few days ago, saying that Norbert was now at the preserve, and had his name changed to Norberta, considering he was actually a she. Hagrid had been delighted to hear she was doing fine.

Harry's musing were interrupted, as he heard what sounded like galloping hoof beats coming from the Forest. He slowly stood, gripping his sword, as the noise became louder. His eyes widened as a unicorn burst from the trees, galloping straight at him.

'Oh crap.' Was all he could think.

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**Well here we are. Took me for-freaking-ever to write. But I finally got the chapter done. And just in time for a pre birthday celebration.**

**That's right folks. Coming up on the 19****th****, it's my birthday. Which one, I won't tell. But I'll give you all a hint.**

**I'm a dragon. **

**If you figure it out...congratulations. You're smart.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please review. **


	8. Unicorn Blood Finals Approach

**All right then. So here's the new Battle Mage chapter.**

**I hope that I've been able to make enough changes to keep people interested. I've said it before and stuff, but for the first three or four years, I'll be following the canon, but making my own changes due to Harry growing up with a family and such. It won't be until around the fifth year that major changes begin. At least, that's what I have planned currently. The major shift from canon may occur sooner or later.**

**Also, I'd like to advertise UltraNexus's story: ****The Law of Naruto Volume 1: The Fight for Heaven.**** Give it a look.**

**Anyways, enough about this. On to my next chapter! **

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**Chapter 8**

**Unicorn Blood;**

**Finals Approach**

As the unicorn charged at him, Harry dove to one side, letting the one horned horse charge past. He quickly got to his feet, in time to see the beast attempt to turn and charge him down. The key word being attempt, as the beast slipped and fell, as if some of its legs were weak or simply cut out from under it.

Harry stood there, staring at the creature as it whinnied in fear and pain. That's when he noticed the silvery liquid on the unicorns flank, and the wound from which it bled. Harry bit his lip, deciding whether he should run to get Hagrid, or try to help. He took a breath, and slowly approached the unicorn, raising his hands. "Easy there, easy," he said in a calm, soothing voice.

The unicorn struggled more, letting out a loud neigh, and Harry stopped. He winced as he saw the wound pouring more blood out. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said, as he slowly lowered his sword from its sheathe onto the ground. He then slowly circled the unicorn, moving so he could approach it from an angle where the unicorn could watch him.

The unicorn warily watched him, still struggling to get back to its feet. Harry continued to talk softly and gently, as he approached the unicorn.

He gently knelt near its side, as he held a hand towards its head. The unicorn went still for a few moments, then slowly moved down and sniffed his hand. It was still tense, but that moment there let Harry know the unicorn was somewhat trusting of him.

He examined the wound, and blinked. 'This wound...it's too clean along the edges. It wasn't caused by a wild animal.' he thought as he studied it.

He looked around for some water, and cursed when the nearest source was a water bottle he left where he was meditating. He quickly stood and rushed over to grab it. As he was standing back up, he heard a panicked noise. Harry turned in time to see a cloaked figure rushing towards the unicorn.

He cursed and dropped the water bottle, thrusting a hand towards the figure as he yelled out, "_Fulgor Pessulus! (Lightning Bolt)_"

As the bolt of lightning shot from his hand, the cloaked figure looked up, hissing as they jumped away. Harry drew his blade, moving to close the distance, when the figure looked up. He screamed in pain as his scar erupted in searing heat, dropping to his knees. His blade clattered to the ground as he grabbed his forehead in pain.

The cloaked figure seemed to chuckle in a dark hissing way, as they stood and slowly advanced on Harry.

The bespectacled teen grunted in pain, as he closed his eyes. 'C'mon, focus. Focus or you're dead!'

Slowly, the pain lessened, and Harry grabbed his blade, stumbling to his feet. The cloaked figure growled as it reached into the confines of its robes. Harry leapt forward, slashing quickly with his blade, forcing the being back.

The cloaked figure growled, as Harry stood between it and the wounded unicorn. "You're not getting near it." Harry growled in some pain, holding his stance.

The dark form let out a hiss, and was preparing to draw something from its robes, when the sounds of hoof beats echoed from the trees. The figure turned its cowl covered head, and then glared at Harry before turning and disappearing into the trees.

Harry panted as he let his blade fall, dropping to his knees. He winced in pain as he felt his forehead, which was throbbing in pain.

The sound of hoof beats caused him to look up, squinting his eyes in pain. His eyes widened when he noticed what was making the hoof beats.

Before him stood a centaur with a palomino body and white blonde hair. His sapphire eyes stared intently down at the boy before him. "Are you alright child?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah...mostly." He groaned, as he slowly stood up. He cursed. "The unicorn! Is it okay?" He turned around, relief sweeping through him as he saw the wounded unicorn still alive.

He moved to its side and poured water near the wound, before raising a hand and softly speaking. The water began to draw towards the wound and slowly began to clean out any infection and foreign substances. The unicorn whinnied in discomfort, but remained still as Harry finished. Harry pointed to his bag. "Can you hand me my bag? I have some potions in there in case I hurt myself during training."

The centaur blinked. "Of course." He moved to the bag, and managed to scoop it up somewhat awkwardly, before he returned to Harry and handed it to him. Harry pulled out a vial of a gelatinous like potion, and slowly began to spread some on the wound.

The unicorn started to struggle, making desperate noises, but Harry gently shushed it, stroking its neck. The gel like substance slowly began to cover the wound, and then dried, acting like a bandage.

Harry sat back, sighing. He looked to the centaur. "Thank you."

"It was nothing young one. If anything, I should thank you for helping a creature of the Forest. I am Firenze." He said, as he helped Harry to his feet.

Harry nodded. "Harry Potter." He said, as he looked to the unicorn. "I'm sure the unicorn will be fine, but it still might be a good idea for the groundskeeper Hagrid to check that wound over."

Firenze was about to respond, when the unicorn neighed softly to Firenze, who blinked and responded back. The unicorn almost seemed to nod in response, and Firenze looked to Harry. "I...I'm actually quite shocked at this, but...the unicorn wishes to thank you for what you've done. It wishes to give you a gift...the blood that was already spilt."

Harry's eyes widened. "W-What?" He asked, looking down at the unicorn.

Firenze decided to explain. "Unicorn blood is known to have the most incredible healing properties, rivaling that of phoenix tears. However, blood of a unicorn that is taken by injuring or killing the creature is forever cursed to those that drink of it. They'll be cursed with a half life. However...unicorn blood that is freely given by the unicorn, even if it was already spilt before hand, is pure. It is a very rare thing to happen. In the history of my people...we've only seen it happen twice. Once to Merlin, and once to a wizard known as Nicholas Flamel. You, young Potter, are the third."

Harry stood there, looking at the unicorn. Then he bowed. "I am truly honored." He said.

He took an empty vial form his school bag, and his wand. Using a manipulation charm Hermione had taught him, he siphoned the split blood from the ground and unicorn fur, and into the vial, before stopping it.

Firenze nodded. "I shall go to Hagrid and bring him here. Please, watch over the unicorn a while longer." He turned and rode off.

Harry sighed and sat down next to the unicorn, gently stroking its flank. It looked at him, and nudged his arm with its nose. He chuckled softly and sighed.

Several minutes later, Firenze returned with Hagrid and Fang. "Harry! Are yeh alright?" The groundskeeper asked worriedly. Harry nodded as he slowly stood up.

"I'm alright Hagrid. I've sealed the wound, but it's only temporary. You should get it taken care of soon." He said.

Hagrid nodded. "Thanks Harry. This is the second attack this month. I found another dead a week ago. you should go tell Professor Dumbledore what happened."

Harry nodded. "Right...I'll go do that." He said. "It'll be okay, right?"

Firenze nodded. "Yes...she will."

Harry nodded, and quickly left. Within minutes, he was entering the Entrance Hall where he ran into Dumbledore. "Harry are you alright?"

Harry pointed out to the woods. "Professor, there's a wounded unicorn out there. It was attacked by...well I don't know. It looked like it was human, but it moved differently from one, was covered in a cloak and hood, and made hissing noise."

Dumbledore nodded. "I see. Thank you for reporting this Harry. And the unicorn?"

"She was fine when I left. I cleaned the wound out, and Hagrid and Firenze are taking care of her now." He said.

Dumbledore nodded. "Excellent work Harry. Though from now on, I suggest you maybe keep closer to the castle. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Harry nodded, before taking on a thoughtful look. "Professor...there's something else. When I was facing the...whatever it was, I felt an immense pain in my scar. It's still stinging. I...I was wondering if it maybe had to do with...well..."

"Voldemort? Or what is hidden in the school? Those are good questions Harry. Very good questions. I'll think upon them and so should you. But I would advise you to not do anything dangerous. Now run along." The Headmaster proceeded down the stairs and out of the school, while Harry nodded and headed off towards his Common Room to tell his friends what happened.

_A week later_

Harry groaned as he slumped into one of the chairs in the Gryffindor Common Room, followed by Neville in a chair next to his. "The teachers...they're going insane." Neville muttered.

Harry nodded. "Tell me about it. And I've also got Quidditch Practice as well. Why couldn't the last match be after finals?" He groaned out.

They both were interrupted form their griping by Hermione, who sat down and immediately began yanking out books. "No time to waste you two. We need to get to studying if we're going to pass finals!" She said, a she immediately started reading her Transfiguration book over again.

Harry and Neville groaned and began studying as well. Harry glanced outside, watching the sky and the red tail hawk soaring over the woods. He smiled as he looked back down at his book and began reading.

On the other side of the Common Room, Ron grinned as he looked down at the chess board before him. On it, his queen crushed a pawn, booting it off the board. "And checkmate, Dean." He said, smirking.

Dean sighed. "Jeez, how are you so good at chess?" He asked.

Ron simply smirked as he leaned back. "It's a gift. Another game?"

Dean sighed as he stood up. "Sorry man, but I got to start studying. Finals are coming up."

Ron groaned. "Oh c'mon, finals are ages away! We'll still have time."

Dean shook his head. "Sorry Ron. But my parents will kill me if I don't pass." he went to grab his books, while Ron sat back, groaning.

"Why can't I find anyone to slack off with?" He muttered, as he glanced towards where Harry, Neville, and Hermione were working. "Hmph. Goody two shoes Potter and his friends. Figured they'd be studying. I don't see why Potter bothers considering the teachers probably just rig his tests for him anyways."

Meanwhile, Fred and George were sitting in a corner, whispering as they worked on notes for different pranks. George finally set his notes aside. "Hey Fred...you ever think about maybe us putting actual effort into school?"

Fred looks up sharply at his twin. "And what, dear brother, has brought about these treacherous thoughts?" He said dramatically.

George sighed. "I'm just thinking ahead, to the future. You know, after school?"

Fred shook his head. "We talked about it. Joke shop. Pranks to sell to future pranksters at Hogwarts and abroad. Why the change of thought now?" He asked, looking up. Noticing George was looking away, he looked in the same direction. He smirked as he saw George staring at Katie Bell. "Oohhh. Is that it? Worrying about after school romances?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

George looked away. "I'm just thinking, girls like guys who are successful. That's all."

Fred sighed. "Oh my foolish twin, do you not remember what Bill told us? Shallow pretty girls like successful guys. A real catch is the girl who likes you for who you are on the inside. Not how many Galleons you make in a week."

George smiled. "you're right. Sorry. Just one of those weird moments."

George smiled. "So, Katie Bell, huh?" He asked. George groaned and slammed his head on the table.

Meanwhile, in the dungeons of the castle, the Slytherin's were also hard at work for their exams. Or at least, some were.

Draco smirked as he sat near the fire, sipping pumpkin juice like it was expensive wine. "I really don't see what the fuss is. Honestly, these exams are a waste of time." He said, as he lightly flipped through a book.

Nearby, a girl with green eyes and black hair sighed as she read through her charms book. "Maybe for you, big shot." Daphne Greengrass muttered under her breath. She hated having to put up with Draco and Pansy Parkinson, the fat pug like girl sitting next to Draco. They were a disgrace to pure blood witches and wizards, in her opinion.

She sighed as she kept working, silently wishing she had actually been put into Ravenclaw. Unbeknownst to her, a couple other Slytherin's were having similar thoughts.

Back in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry set aside his homework, which he had just complete, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the face of Oliver Wood. "C'mon Harry. I'm calling a team meeting to discuss strategies for our final game against Ravenclaw." He said.

Harry whimpered. "Oliver, I just finished my homework for the evening. Let me rest, please?"

Oliver shook his head. "No way. We have to be prepared. This is our big chance to take the cup from Slytherin!" He said, as he dragged Harry away, who silently begged for help from Hermione and Neville. Both just grinned helplessly at him.

_On the grounds_

A hooded and cloaked figure knelt in clearing in the light of the full moon. A strong voice echoed from the hood of his cloak. "Master, despite the earlier setback, I have continued to procure more unicorn blood for your use."

A hiss answered him, and he nodded. "I have all but completed preparations for retrieving the Philosophers' Stone. All that is required is ensuring the meddlesome fool Dumbledore is out of the way."

The hiss spoke again, and the figure trembled. "I-I understand master. I will not fail you again, as I did with the troll and the unicorn. You will soon have what you wish for." He said.

There was one last hiss and then all was silent. The figure slowly stood, and quickly left the clearing.

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**Okay. I know this was a long time to wait, and a short chapter for your troubles. I just had a really hard time motivating myself to write this one, so I'm sorry. I'm a bad author! **

**Now, about Daphne Greengrass. Since I've never really gotten a canon description of her, beyond her being Harrys' age, a member of Pansy's girls, and a Slyhterin, I went with the version I've heard the most. Black hair, green eyes, and actually dislikes Slytherin's like Pansy and Draco. **

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. And again, sorry for it being so short, and taking so long.**


	9. Putting the Pieces Together

**So welcome to the next chapter of Battle Mage of Hogwarts. Last chapter was short...and I mean really short, for my current standards. And unfortunantly, this one is too.**

**I'm glad many are enjoying this, and I hope that you'll also check out the upcoming stories that will cover Years 2-7.**

**Now to get done with this rather pointless stuff and move on to the chapter.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. All characters, places, spells, and events that I use here that are from Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling, not myself.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Putting the Pieces Together**

Harry stared at the test in front of him, silently rubbing his forehead. It was the first day of exams, and for his year, that meant Charms. Forty kids sat in one of the larger classrooms, each having been given an anti-cheating quill beforehand. They had been given two hours to complete the exams, before being allowed to break for lunch and bathroom. Afterwards they would take their practical exams.

He grunted in pain as he felt another small stab of discomfort where his scar was. He had been feeling pain there ever since his encounter with the robed figure who had tried to attack the unicorn. He had managed to mostly block it out, but it still hurt.

Harry sighed as he answered another question. For the most part, he was remembering the answers fairly well, though a few were harder than he expected. Still, he knew he would do fairly well on this part. He discreetly glanced ahead, where Neville sat.

Neville nervously rubbed the feathery end of his quill against his forehead, before writing down an answer. Both Harry and Hermione had studied hard with him, and he felt pretty sure he could do this. But still, his nervousness was taking a small toll on him, as he anxiously read the next question.

Several seats behind Harry, Hermione quickly and efficiently answered each question. She let out a sigh of satisfaction as she answered another question, barely squeezing her answer into the space provided. She really wished they were given more room to write out their answers. How could she answer any of these questions with only two inches room to put in all the information? She shrugged and went back to work.

Near the back of the Gryffindor column, Ron growled as he racked his brain for the answer to the first question. 'Stupid test. Who needs to know half this garbage anyways?' He finally jotted down what sounded like the right answer, and moved on.

In the Slytherin column, Draco scowled at his test as he wrote out answers. In his opinion, this was all just a waste of his time. He wished his father would have simply bribed the school board to let him be exempt from the tests, but his father wanted him to prove his superiority by taking the tests. So now, he was stuck writing out answers to nonsense questions.

Several seats behind him, Daphne Greengrass took a quiet look around, making sure Flitwick wasn't nearby. Then she silently passed a note backwards to the student behind her, Blaise Zabini. He was like her, a Slytherin who hated the stereotype forced upon them by idiots like Draco and bigots throughout the rest of the Wizarding World. He took it and silently read the answers off, before destroying the note, and quickly writing the answers down, smiling to himself.

Eventually, the time ran out. Flitwick summoned the tests from their desks to himself, and stacked them neatly. "You all have an hour and a half to eat lunch and go over final notes for the practical exams. Please be in the corridor outside this room promptly at one thirty, or you'll fail the practical portion of your Charm's final exam." He said, as he sat down to begin grading the papers. The students filed out of the room, some talking about the tests, other's stretching to loosen cramped muscles.

Almost as soon as they had stepped out of the room, Hermione began talking about the test to Neville and Harry. "That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Sure, there were a couple of difficult questions, but most of my problems were fitting all of my answers into the space they provided for us."

Neville just stared, while Harry quietly chuckled. "Only you Hermione. Only you," he said with a smile, as they headed to get lunch.

That afternoon was Harry's turn to shine out of the three of them. While Hermione excelled at the academic, and showed a high skill of magic, Harry had quickly shown that the practical side of magic was where he was best at. Professor Flitwick commented on his excellent casting, as Harry's pineapple tap danced along the desk, ending with a spin.

The next day, McGonagall gave them their Transfiguration test, followed by their practical test. In this case, they had to transform a mouse into a snuffbox. Hermione succeeded in making her mouse into a very ornate snuffbox. Harry came in right behind her, with Neville succeeding in turning his into a snuffbox. Ron failed horribly, only managing to turn his mouse into a rectangular mouse, while Malfoy only turned the fur of his gold and shiny.

Snape's test was the hardest on everyone but the Slytherin's. The Potions Professor's glare swept over the other three houses continually, causing them to become nervous and unsure of their answers. Even Hermione was seen second guessing herself once or twice.

For the practical exam, Snape had them brew a Forgetfulness Potion. This potion was hard enough for first years, as the fumes could cause the mind to wander if done properly. But adding in the freezing cold breath of the Slytherin Head of House on their neck, and more than one Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff ended up making a mistake that they had to quickly correct.

That night, they trooped up to the Astronomy Tower for their Astronomy Exam, which consisted of identifying and naming various constellations in the sky.

The next day was another dual test day. Because of the highly practical nature of Herbology, their test consisted of naming the various parts, uses and dangers of plants that were presented to them. In the afternoon, they were only given an academic test for their Defense Against the Dark Art's class. This was mostly due to the fact that their teacher had not actually really taught them anything practical, due mostly to them being first years, but also due to his rather large fear of pretty much everything.

Harry groaned as he fell into the puffy armchair next to the fireplace after the end of the DADA test. He lay there, just letting relief wash over him. Only one test left.

He let out an 'oof' when something landed on his lap, followed by a similar 'oof' from Neville who had been sitting nearby. Harry looked at said object, and realized it was his _History of Magic _textbook.

Hermione dropped into a third seat and opened hers. "No time to relax! We need to make sure we're ready for tomorrow!" She began pouring through the book, as Harry slowly sat up.

"Hermione, please. We just got out of a double test day. Can't you give us a moment to rest our brains and bodies?" He asked, with Neville weakly nodding.

Hermione looked up at them. "Of course not! Even a moment wasted can spell disaster. Now, Elfric the Eager led his uprising in what year?"

Harry sighed, and was about to respond when he felt a larger increase of the pain in his forehead. He winced, closing his eyes and leaning forward. Hermione instantly stopped pouring over the textbook and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, are you alright?"

He grunted softly. "Yeah. Mostly. It's starting to get worse though. I think it's some type of warning. I think...I think Voldemort's going to try something soon."

Neville winced at that, and Harry sighed softly. "It's just a name Nev," he said quietly. "Anyways, I think he's maybe planning to infiltrate the school soon, to get his hands on the Stone."

Neville move closer. "But he can't, can he? Not with Dumbledore here."

Hermione nodded, but Harry shrugged. "If he has help, maybe he can. And we already know one person who might help him."

Hermione bit her lip. "I still have a hard time believing anyone Dumbledore would trust would help...well..._him._ I think maybe we're wrong," she said quietly. Neville nodded.

Harry sighed as he sat back. "You might be right. We don't have a whole lot of proof."

He picked up his book. "So...what was the question again?" He asked.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle, a shadowy figure sat in a darkened room. "My master, preparations are complete. Tomorrow night, I will retrieve the Philosopher's Stone."

A hissing voice answered. "_Excellent. Make sure you do not fail me again. If all goes well, I shall handsomely reward you._"

The shadowy figure nodded. "Of course M'lord. Soon you'll be restored to power, and your reign over the Wizard World will be assured!"

A hissing laughter filled the room, as evil plotted in the darkness of the night.

_The Next Day, Testing Room_

The forty first year students all sat in their columns, most of them cursing the fact that Professor Binn's had made the class so bloody boring. It had made it so hard to stay awake and keep notes. The only one not seeming to have any trouble was Hermione, but what else could be expected of the bushy haired Gryffindor?

Harry was quickly bouncing one knee up and down as he bit his lower lip, looking at one of the last few questions before him. He took a deep breath, as he searched his brain for the answer, finally writing down what he hoped was the correct response. He glanced up at the hour glass on the desk at the head of the class.

_C'mon. Just ten more minutes and we're free! _He sighed as he went back to the test, working on the last couple of questions.

Most of the other students present were thinking similar things. Ten more minutes, and then they would be free from having to worry about any schoolwork.

Other students were a little more frantic. Ron was sweating up a storm as he rushed to answer as many of the questions as he could. Silently, he cursed the ghost professor for being so boring. _Maybe if he would just finally retire and let someone interesting teach, I could pay better attention! _Ron's angry thoughts incorrectly placed the blame on others, when he should have been looking to his own lazy ways.

Eventually, the last of the sand sunk to the bottom part of the hour glass, and the ghostly Professor looked up. "Time's up. Quills down please," he said, as he moved to the front of his desk. "Please pass your tests to the front of the column. The student at the front will bring them up to my desk. Afterwards, you're all dismissed."

There was a loud cheer as the last of the tests landed on the desk, and the first year students streamed out of the large classroom, heading off in different directions.

Our particular trio of heroes decided on a nice stroll around the grounds. Harry sighed to himself, trying to ignore the dull throb. That would prove to be something he would be unable to do, as the scar suddenly lit up in pain and Harry leaned over, wincing in tortured agony. As Hermione and Neville moved to comfort him, they were unaware of the figure passing by one of the windows of the school, coming back from the Owlery.

Hermione bit her lip as Harry shook his head to clear it. "Harry, maybe you should go see the nurse. This obviously isn't normal."

Harry nodded. "You're right about it not being normal, but I don't think it's something that Madam Pomfrey can help me with. It didn't start hurting until I ran into the figure near the woods. I think maybe it's a warning, that danger is nearing," he said. "I just can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen. Something involving the stone. I know I'm forgetting something."

Neville placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing, Harry. Dumbledore is still here, and I'm sure the Stone is safe. Hagrid assured us that only he and Dumbledore know how to get past Fluffy."

Harry sighed. "I know, but somehow I can't just...Hagrid...wait a minute. Hermione, what are the odds of someone actually just carrying around a dragon egg?" He asked her all of a sudden.

Hermione blinked. "It's almost astronomical. They're illegal, and can only be handled by those specifically trained and authorized to do so. Why do you...ask?" Her eyes widened, as Harry nodded.

"So someone just happens to have one when they meet Hagrid, who has always wanted a dragon? And they also buy Hagrid some drinks?" He asked. "That doesn't sound like some innocent person to me. We need to talk to Hagrid."

The groundskeeper just happened to be sitting in front of his hut, carving a wooden flute, when the trio arrived. He smiled at them. "Gud' afternoon. Finished your exams?" He asked them brightly.

Hermione nodded, only to be interrupted by Harry. "Hagrid, the night you got Norberta's egg. Did you see what the guy look like? Or remember anything he might have asked you?"

Hagrid blinked. "Well I can't rightly remember what he looked like. He was wearing this book old cloak. Not that strange. Yeh get plenty of strange characters in the Hog's Head, the pub down in Hogsmeade. But he did ask me a lot about my job here at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded. "What did he ask you about? I think it's pretty important."

Hagrid blinked. "Well if yeh think so. Can't see why. Let's see...he did seem interested in my job with the animals. Especially when I mentioned Fluffy, oh aye. He was quite interested in him. Told him that after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy. Course once you know how to deal with an animal, there's no real trouble anymore. Like Fluffy. Play he'm a bit of music and he just falls right to sleep-."

Hagrid's eyes widened, as did the three students. "Hagrid, you didn't tell him that, did you?"

Hagrid frowned. "Course not! At least...I don't think I did. It's all a little fuzzy. He was plying me with plenty o' drinks he was." He looked up in thought. When he looked down, the trio was halfway across the grounds and heading for the castle.

Harry cursed. "How much do you want to bet that our mystery pub patron was someone who is helping Voldemort?" He asked, not caring that the other two were wincing. "And who here in this castle has shown to be the most suspicious? Snape's leg on Halloween night, him heading for the Third floor Corridor, his threatening Quirrel? And the two possible attempts on my life as well?"

Hermione bit her lip. "It does all add up. But what are we going to do?" She asked. Neville wondered the same thing.

Harry headed for McGonagall's office. "We're going to try and meet with Professor Dumbledore. And if not, then maybe Professor McGonagall can help us."

The trio headed down the corridor's of Hogwarts, coming to McGonagall's office. Harry knocked on her door politely, but also urgently. After a few moments, a disgruntled McGonagall opened the door. "Mr. Potter? I assume you and your friends have a good reason for disturbing me?" She asked.

Harry nodded. "We do Professor. We need to talk to Professor Dumbledore right away. It's urgent."

The Transfiguration teacher raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid that's impossible. Professor Dumbledore has just left for the Ministry of Magic on important business. What could be so urgent anyways?" She asked, eyeing them.

The trio looked at each other, before Harry looked to McGonagall. "It...it's nothing," he finally said. "Just something I wanted to ask him."

McGonagall looked at each of them sternly. "While I applaud an inquisitive nature, please remember that Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster of this school, and has important jobs within the Ministry as well. He does not have time to answer every question held by students."

Harry nodded, as the trio of friends retreated. Harry led them back to the Gryffindor Common Room and they found a quiet corner to talk.

Neville sat down, trembling slightly. "This is bad. With Dumbledore gone, whoever is helping You-Know-Who is sure to act while he's away! Probably tonight even!"

Hermione nodded. "Harry, we need to tell those Mages in town about this. Surely they can help?"

Harry sighed. "And what proof do we have?" He asked. "We don't have any solid proof to tell them. They won't act without some sort of evidence. Something we don't have enough of."

He paced in front of the fire. "Dumbledore's gone. Snape's been inquiring about the defenses put up to protect the Stone, and someone bribes the answers to dealing with Fluffy out of Hagrid. I think Snape or whoever is going after the Stone is going to make their move tonight. Which means...I'll have to stop them," he finished quietly.

He looked up to his two startled friends. "I can't ask either of you to come along. This is going to be very dangerous. And even if we succeed, we may end up being expelled. I can do this alone."

Neville stood up. "Harry...you're my friend. I may not be the most skillful or the strongest in magic, but I'm not going to abandon you."

Hermione stood up as well. "Same here Harry. Besides, you'll need someone smart down there, to help get past those defenses."

Harry looked at them, smiling. He nodded. "Alright then. Tonight, when the last student's gone to bed We'll head out." Make sure you're ready for anything."

They both nodded, as the trio sat down and quietly began planning for whatever they might face.

The day slowly wore on, before the sun set and the moon rose. Slowly, the Gryffindor Common Room emptied of all its occupants, save for the trio near the fire. As the last student trudged upstairs, Harry nodded to them. They quietly headed to their dorm rooms to gather what they would need.

Neville and Hermione were soon back downstairs, dressed in Muggle style clothing that was easy to move in. They silently waited, until Harry joined them, wearing his full battle mage gear. He was carrying a small wooden flute in one hand. At Hermione's inquiring glance at it, Harry shrugged. "I...well...I play the flute. And we need music to calm Fluffy down, remember?"

They nodded, as Harry looked to the portrait exit. "Last chance to back out," he told them quietly. When they shook their heads, he smiled at them. "Then lets rock."

* * *

***sighs* I don't know what happened, but this chapter was a bloody menace to write for some reason. I couldn't get past my opening paragraphs for weeks. But finally it's done. I know I cut off early, and probably could have kept going into the gauntlet of defenses protecting the Stone, but this felt like a good place to stop, and I'm trying to max out the number of chapters I can for this story. Try to give you all more to read chapter wise.**

**Anyways, here it is. Hopefully my next Demon Dragon Rider chapter won't take as long to write, meaning I can get to the next chapter of this story a lot sooner. There will be a couple major changes in what happens, but I won't say what.**

**Added Note: Hey, I added this afterediting. I decided to put this chapter up after Kyuubi123 got done with it, since my other two beta's for this story, Fair Sword Maiden and Door1531, are busy. If one of them finishes their corrections, I'll re-edit the chapter and repost. Thanks you three for all your help!**

**So, please review!**


	10. The Philosopher's Stone

**It's time for Harry and friends to travel to the Forbidden Corridor and deal with whatever they encounter.**

**This chapter will contain the most action we've seen all story. It'll also featured an altered defense, which will hopefully add a degree of difficulty and keep you all interested.**

**Guess we'll see. Time to get this party started!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The Philosopher's Stone**

The castle of Hogwarts sat silent under the shroud of night. The hallways and rooms were still, save for the occasional ghost flitting through the walls, floors, and ceilings.

Harry, Neville, and Hermione, bunched under the Invisibility Cloak, moved as quickly as they could while remaining stealthy. They didn't want to alert any of the ghosts, or even worse, Filch and his cat Mrs. Norris. That would spell the end of their quest to stop Snape, or whoever, was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

Harry, for the tenth time, ran a mental checklist of what he had decided to bring along. His sword was sheathed at his side, and his wooden flute in his pocket. He also had a couple small flasks with some Blood-replenishing Potions.

The trio's first obstacle appeared on the second floor, when they saw Mrs. Norris approaching them. They froze, before quietly moving up against the wall. The scraggly furred cat passed by where they stood, before stopping and turning, her bulbous yellow eyes seeming to almost stare right into Harry's emerald eyes.

The three teens held their breath, not daring to even blink, as Mrs. Norris stared at them, before quietly moving on. When she had disappeared around the corner, they all let out the breath they had been holding.

Harry looked at them. "That was close. I wonder if cats can see through Invisibility Cloaks," he whispered. The others simply shrugged, as they proceeded onwards.

After a brief encounter with Peeves, in which Neville scared him by pretending to be the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin House's ghost, the trio of teens arrived outside the door to the Forbidden Corridor. Harry let out a sigh, as he looked at his two friends. "Last chance to turn back," he told them.

Neville put a hand on his shoulder. "We're not going to abandon you Harry." Hermione nodded in agreement.

Harry nodded, and pulled out his wand, quickly using the Alohomora spell to open the door. Almost immediately, there were loud barks and growls, as the trio stepped inside, removing the cloak.

Harry quickly brought the flute to his lips, and began to play a rather mournful sounding tune upon it. As soon as the first note echoed through the room, the dog's eyes were drooping. By the fifth note, its ears were drooping as well. And by the tenth note, the three headed dog had curled up and was slumbering lightly.

As Harry continued to play, Neville and Hermione snuck over to the trap door, and quietly opened it. Hermione almost tripped over a small harp left on the ground, and quietly shifted it to the side. She and Neville peered into the darkness below the trap door, seeing nothing. They glanced at each other, then at Harry who simply shrugged. Hermione took a deep breath. "Guess I'll go first."

She closed her eyes, hesitated, then leapt down. Harry slowly moved towards the trap door, as Neville gulped, then followed Hermione. Harry glanced at the large dog, then with one quick motion, slipped the flute into his belt and jumped down the hole, hearing the dog growl and stir before he disappeared into the depths.

The young battle mage felt himself land on something soft, and blinked. "Neville? Hermione? You two okay?"

Hermione groaned softly. "Yeah. But what is this?" She asked, only to yelp. "It's moving!"

Neville let out a similar yell, and he managed to scramble away, followed by Harry. Hermione however was stuck due to the long vines wrapped around her legs. She struggled to get free, as Neville cursed. "It's a Devils Snare!"

Harry blinked at Neville, somewhat confused, so Neville explained rather rapidly. "It's a carnivorous plant that strangles its prey before dragging it to a central sac that digests the body, turning it into nutrients. It loves dark spaces, and hates sunlight and fire."

Harry nodded. "Then let's turn up the heat!" He shot one hand out towards the floor in front of the Devil's Snare, launching a fireball from it. It hit the ground, lighting the room up and causing the snare to retract a bit. Once he saw it, Harry launched a second fireball, which hit the Snare near where Hermione, who was now trapped up to her chest, was being held. The tentacles retracted from Hermione as Harry kept launching fireballs, until she was free and joined them.

She panted, rubbing her sternum. "Thanks guys," she panted. "I couldn't get to my wand once it had me."

Harry nodded, as he looked around, slowly holding up his left hand. "_Incendere Pugnus (Fire Fist)._" He muttered. His left fist became enveloped in flames, creating a makeshift torch. with the room illuminated, the trio looked around. Neville noticed some torches and quickly brought them over, letting Harry light them up, before extinguishing the flames around his hand.

Now with the torches lighting the way, the trio started to head down the only exit out of the room. Harry silently drew his sword with his right hand, while the other two drew their wands.

"So any ideas on what we might be facing? Because I'd really hate to end up face to face with a dragon or another troll," Harry whispered quietly. Neville paled at the thought, while Hermione gripped her wand tighter.

"The Stone was protected by the teachers, right? Well Hagrid provided Fluffy, and the Devil's Snare was obviously Professor Sprouts. We know Quirrel and Snape were in on the defenses too, so we can probably expect something to do with Potions, and some type of creature. But who else is left?" She asked softly.

"Professor's Flitwick and McGonagall," Harry said softly. "Those are the only other two practical types of magic left that could be used."

Before they could ponder the situation further, they found the passage becoming lighter. They slowed down, tensing for whatever lay ahead, as they exited into a large room. It was circular, with four large stone columns, each bearing a crystal in them. In the center of the room was a large stone container, filled with sand, and dangling above it was a key. Harry also noticed some soot like stains on some of the walls, and shards of broken glass lying here and there. There were also some brooms on a small alcove against one wall.

He turned his attention to the other side of the room. A massive oak door stood in the wall, an ornate door handle and keyhole being it's only feature. Harry nodded to it. "I guess we'll need the key to open it."

Hermione glanced at the key. "But why is it hanging over that container of sand?" She asked, eyeing the sand, and then the four pillars of stone with crystals. She went over to one. "Wait...what's this? There's some type of markings under the crystal on this stone." '

Harry and Neville came over to look. Harry lightly traced the words. "It's Gaelic. Irish Gaelic." He said. "My dad made me study it along with Latin." He traced the words again. "_Ta me ag an deireadh agus tus. _I am the beginning and the end."

Neville looked over at another pillar. "And this here. 'I am the light before the darkness'. What does it mean though?" When he noticed Hermione and Neville staring at him, he blushed lightly. "My grandmother made me study Gaelic too."

Hermione looked at them. "So we have four pillars with inscriptions involving phrases in Irish Gaelic, a locked door, and the key to it hanging over a container of sand. This...makes no sense. We should probably grab the key and get it over with."

Harry bit his lip. "It can't be that easy," he said, as Neville moved forward to grab the key.

Just before he could grab it though, sand shot from the container, forming a hand that grasped the key. Neville fell back, yelling as Harry grabbed him and pulled him away. The sand surged up out of the container, slowly starting to form into a figure. It stepped down out of the container as its features appeared.

The figure now appeared to be an armored warrior made entirely from sand, standing close to six feet in height. Four arms sprouted from its body, carrying the key, a shield, a sword, and an axe. Its head was covered in a helmet, with two black eyes staring at the three of them through its visor.

Harry looked at it. "Guess we need to defeat it, huh?" He asked, as he prepared to attack it with his sword, only to stop when the crystals surrounding them glowed, each a different color. Beams of red, green, white, and gold energy shout out, hitting the sand warrior, before covering it in a multi colored second skin.

Harry blinked, before staring at the others. "Uhhh...any ideas?" He asked. They quietly shook their heads.

Harry turned back to the sand warrior, only to duck under the wild axe swing that was coming for him. He cursed and struck back, only for his blade to bounce off the multi colored energy surrounding it. "Those crystals are protecting it!" He shouted to Hermione and Neville, who had wildly back pedaled away since neither was much good at close quarter fighting.

Neville dragged Hermione over to one of the stones. "We've got to stop these crystals. Any spells that could work?" He asked her quickly, as Harry parried a blow from the sand warrior's sword, side stepped an axe swing, and tried to hit it with a ball of lighting, only for the blast to be deflected off the shield.

Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know! This is insane! How do we deactivate the crystals?" She yelled.

Harry grunted, rolling to one side and blocking another attack with his sword. He had been reduced to blocking, due to the fact that none of his attacks were making it through the magical shield around his opponent. The sand warrior silently pressed its attack, driving Harry back towards a wall. Harry grunted as his back hit the wall, barely moving aside to avoid being stabbed. The sand blade still caught his arm, slicing through his shirt and opening the skin on his right arm slightly.

Hermione wracked her mind for anything that worked, before shooting her head up. "I think I've got it!" She whipped her wand out, jabbing it at the stone in front of her. "_Finite Incantatem_!"

The stone's glow seemed to fade and sputter, only to reignite. Hermione did it again, getting the same result. "It's not working!"

Neville bit his lip. "No, there's something else. It was working! Try it on another crystal."

Harry grunted as he held his sword in a defensive block, gripping the blade with his left hand. The sword was currently blocking both the sword and axe, which had been swung down at him. The sand warrior suddenly spun, knocking him off balance as its shield hit him, knocking the air from his lungs and sending him flying. Harry hit the floor, his sword spinning from his grasp and clattering several feet away. The warrior slowly advanced, raising its sword.

Hermione frantically performed the spell again on another crystal, only to get the same result. "Neville it's not working!" She shouted.

Neville bit his lip, looking at the pillar. His eyes fell on the Gaelic inscription underneath, before his eyes widened. "Summer," he whispered.

Hermione stared at him. "What? How can you be thinking of summer at a time like this?" She screamed.

Neville shook his head. "The inscription! 'I am the light before the darkness'! In the old times, the ancient Irish use to refer to the season of summer as the last light before the darkness of autumn and winter! It's the seasons! The crystals represent the seasons! Hermione, try it on that one over there!" He shouted, pointing to the crystal that glowed with white energy. The one whose inscription read 'I am the end and the beginning'. (1)

Harry shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from it, as he saw the sand warrior over him, preparing to stab down. He rolled away, barely escaping the blade. He kept rolling grabbing up his sword and raising it up to block. However, there was no strike against his sword. The warrior froze, shaking almost in pain it seemed, as the magical shield around it dimmed. The white energy seemed to be drawn away, back to its crystal.

Hermione grinned. "It's working! Neville it's working! Which one is next?" Neville rushed to one of the other pillars, reading the inscription, before shaking his head. "Autumn. This one over here!" He shouted, rushing to the one glowing with green energy.

Hermione started over, only to scream and duck as the warrior turned on her, attacking her. Harry rushed over, slamming into it and knocking it away from her. "Hurry guys!" He shouted, as he fought with the being.

Hermione rushed over, performing her spell again. The crystal sputtered and died and the warrior froze up again, as green energy was sucked from its magical shield, leaving only the gold and red left.

Harry quickly moved between it and his friends, only for his eyes to widen when he saw a fifth arm forming, this one wielding a crossbow. He soon was under attack again, as the warrior struck at him with sword and axe, while the fifth arm aimed at Hermione and Neville, heading for the summer crystal. "Watch out!" He yelled, as the crossbow fired at them.

Both the teens ducked, the bolt smashing into the column where Neville's head was. Hermione quickly performed the spell, causing the warrior to freeze up, the gold energy draining form it's shield.

Neville grinned. "One more to go!" He shouted, as they rushed towards the last crystal. Harry continued to battle the warrior, blocking, parrying, and trying to keep the crossbow arm from firing. He grunted as he locked blades with the warrior, only for his eyes to widen in horror as the crossbow fired again. He thrust a fist out, shooting a blast of wind at the bolt.

Hermione quickly cast the spell on the autumn crystal, only to be knocked to the side by Neville. She heard a scream of pain, and looked at the Gryffindor boy on her Neville was yelling in pain, gripping his leg which had the bolt through it.

Harry growled in anger, glaring at the warrior, who seemed to almost sag as the last of its magical shield disappeared. He gripped his sword. "Now we end it." He said, as he attacked it.

The warrior kept blocking his more aggressive and forceful attacks, but was unable to save its crossbow arm, which was shorn off. It fell to the ground, becoming sand once again. Harry pressed his attack, stabbing the warrior through the stomach. His eyes widened though, when after drawing his sword out, the wound simply reformed.

He jumped back, glaring at the sand warrior. "So...I can't cut you entirely to pieces, can I?" He asked, before remembering the scorch marks and broken glass he had seen earlier. "Of course. you're weak against lighting aren't you?" He said, as he held out his left hand. "_Fulgor Pessulus (Lighting bolt)!_"

From his hand shot a bolt of lightning. The sand warrior raised its shield, only for the shield and arm to become superheated by the lightning bolt. They formed into warped glass, before falling off and shattering on the ground. The warrior seemed to stumble, and if possible, looked at Harry fearfully, as the young Battle Mage grinned, aiming his hand again.

"This is for my friend," Harry said, before firing a second bolt, which blasted the warrior's head, causing it to literally disintegrate. The warrior stumbled back a few steps, before slowly falling to its knees, then onto the floor, where it collapsed into sand. Harry slowly walked forward, watching the sand slowly flow back into the container, leaving behind the key. He grabbed it, before rushing back to Hermione and Neville.

Hermione was doing her best to help Neville, having removed the bolt and ripped part of her sweater to wrap around the wound. Harry took a look, and tightened the makeshift bandage. "I think you'll be okay Neville," he said. "The wound doesn't look to bad. I think it mostly got the muscle in your thigh, and missed any of the arties or the bone."

Neville nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah. That's a relief," he gasped out, panting.

Harry quickly pulled out one of the flasks of potions he had and helped Neville to drink it. "We need to get him out of here," Harry said.

Neville shook his head. "No. You guys need to go on ahead! You've got to get to the stone!"

Hermione shook her head. "Neville we can't leave you here like this!"

Neville grabbed Harry's arm, panting, and looking him in the eyes. "If you don't stop Snape or whoever it is in there, it won't matter what happens to me. You've got to keep going."

Harry trembled. "Neville...we'll be back for you." He said, gripping his friend arm. "No matter what...we'll be back for you."

Neville nodded. "Go."

Harry grabbed Hermione. "C'mon. We have to hurry."

Hermione quietly nodded, a few tears falling from her eyes. She hugged Neville, before following Harry. He quickly unlocked the door, dropping the key as he pulled it open.

The two of them were hit by a horrible smell, one that was practically visible. The two of them coughed and gagged, eyes watering. Harry barely made out the form of a giant troll, even bigger than the one he and Neville had fought. Thankfully though, it was unconscious on the floor.

Harry quickly pulled Hermione to the next room, where they both took a few moments to clear their eyes and regain their breath. They both looked up, eyeing the room and its contents. "This would be Snape's," Harry said quietly.

The room was a lot smaller than most of the ones they had been through. The only contents were a table with a note and seven different sized bottles, each containing a different colored liquid. They moved towards the table, only to tense when purple flames erupted in the doorway they had just come through. Black flames licked the doorway leading forward.

Hermione grabbed up the note. "Guess this will tell us what to do," she said quietly, before starting to read out loud.

_Danger lies before, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead._

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you with your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly poison tries to hide,_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither are your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione read it again, then looked at the bottles. "Hmmmm. This is actually easier than I thought it would."

Harry looked at her. "I have to admit, those hints seem to give a lot away. It seems obvious by the fourth clue that the second left and second right are nettle wine. Meaning that to their left lies the poison. And since we know neither giant nor dwarf hold death, neither of them are poison either. Meaning that since they're not nettle wine and not poison, they have to be the ones to get us forward and back."

Hermione nodded, as she studied them. "...this is the one to get us forward," she said, grabbing the dwarf bottle. "There's only enough here for a mouthful. Only one of us can go forward."

Harry looked at it, then at her. "Okay. You go back and get to Neville. Use the broomsticks in the alcove nearby, get Neville to the Infirmary, and then owl Dumbledore. I'll get in there and try to protect the stone as long as I can."

Hermione trembled, before crying quietly as she hugged him. "H-Harry, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I've been so useless!" She cried, hugging him. She felt so weak and useless, having been caught by the Devil's Snare and getting Neville wounded.

Harry blinked, before hugging her back. "Hermione, I never thought of you as useless. You're the smartest out of the three of us. And brains count just as much as brawn."

She sniffled, looking down. "H-Harry...I...thank you...thank you for being my friend. I don't think I could have made it through the year without you and Neville."

He smiled back at her. "I'm sure you would have been fine. Now dry up those tears. I'll be fine."

Hermione nodded quietly, as she grabbed the large bottle. She took a deep breath, than drank from it, before shivering. "Feels like ice. " She turned to look back at Harry. "Be careful. And good luck."

Harry nodded, before she disappeared through the flames. Harry turned back to the black fire, and then drank the potion in one gulp. He shuddered, feeling like his body was filled with ice, before passing through the flames.

Harry slowly looked around, as soon as he passed through the flames and the doorway. He found himself standing at the top of a flight of stairs, leading down to an open room with pillars. Standing in the middle of the room was a large mirror, and a person slightly hidden by the poor lighting of the room.

Harry quietly headed down the stairs, sword drawn, as he tried to identify who it was. As he drew closer, he let out a wince of pain, his scar flaring up. The figure heard this. "I was not expecting you, Potter," he figure said, before turning, moving into the light. Harry's eyes widened.

"You! It can't be you!"He said, staring at the sneering face of Professor Quirrel.

"Of course not. When you have Severus storming around the castle, how could anyone suspect p-p-poor s-s-stuttering P-Professor Quirrel," the Professor said, almost mockingly. "Of course, Snape did try to play the hero. Heading me off when I let the troll in on Halloween, stopping me form throwing you from your broom. Even threatening me. But he is nothing compared to my master."

Harry stared at him. "So it was you this whole time? And your master. You mean Voldemort?"

Quirrel scowled. "Don't you dare speak his name, Potter!" He shouted, snapping his fingers. Ropes shot out towards Harry form the sides, catching him off guard. They wrapped around him, restraining him. "Now be a good boy and stay there, while I figure out the secrets of this mirror."

Harry glared. "A mirror? You're more interested in a mirror than the Stone? Your master won't be pleased," he said, as he struggled to get loose.

"This mirror is the key to getting the stone, Potter. Clever old Dumbledore. You see, this mirror is the Mirror of Erised. It shows you your hearts true desire. When I look into it, I see myself presenting the stone to my master. So, all I have to do is figure out how to use it to get the Stone."

Harry blinked. "Really? You know what I see from here?" Harry asked, as he positioned his hands at the ropes around his chest and arms.

"What could I care for what you see Potter?" Quirrel asked, turning to him just in time for Harry to cut through the ropes with a wind spell, before shooting up and smashing into Quirrel, knocking him to the ground.

"I see me taking you down," Harry said, only to get knocked off of Quirrel with a blast of magic. He hit the ground and rolled behind a pillar, slowly getting up.

"So, you think you can fight me Potter! Don't make me laugh! The power of my master makes me invincible!" Quirrel shouted, firing a spell at the pillar Harry was behind. The pillar shook and cracked, but held together.

"You mean the same power he failed to kill me with?" Harry shot back, as he thought of a strategy to fight back against Quirrel. That last attack had shown Harry that he could use magic without his wand, but he should still aim to get rid of that first.

"That was only a fluke Potter!" Quirrel shouted, before a third voice echoed through the chamber.

"_Quirrel...I wish to speak to the boy,"_ the voice hissed. Harry groaned in pain, his scar flaring up even more. Quirrel froze, before humbly speaking.

"Master, you're not strong enough. Please, let me simply end the boy." The man flinched, almost in pain, as the voice hissed angrily.

"_NO! He is mine to kill. Now let me speak with him first._" Quirrel simply nodded, as he began to undo the turban around his head.

Harry peeked around the corner, wondering what was going on, only for his blood to freeze when Quirrel removed his turban and turned, revealing a hideous snake like face with flat nostrils and red snake like eyes on the back of his head.

"_Harry Potter. We meet again. I apologize for my appearance, but you did destroy my body._" Harry just trembled, as Voldemort chuckled softly. "_You have grown powerful, Harry. Such magical power you wield, is truly amazing. Why squander it? With your power, we could work together._"

Harry snorted. "Are you kidding? You ruined the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people, committed mass genocide against muggle born and muggles alike, and let's not forget the fact that you killed my mother and father!" Harry shouted. "I would never side with someone like you!"

Voldemort snarled. "_Then you shall die, boy. Quirrel! Restrain him!_"

Harry shot out, as Quirrel turned. Harry was already slashing at Quirrel with his sword, the blade slashing across Quirrel's chest, drawing blood. The wizard yelled in pain, trying to back up, only to get back handed by Harry, knocking him over. Harry struck at him, only to find himself blown back again, his sword flying from his hand.

Quirrel raised his wand, preparing to fire a spell at Harry, who dodged behind the mirror. The spell shot past, destroying a column. Harry took a deep breath, before smashing his right fist into the ground surrounding it in stone. He stood back up, hearing Quirrel approach. He took a deep breath, before coming out, swinging. His stone covered fist smashed into Quirrel's outstretched arm, shattering the bone and forcing the wizard to drop his wand. Quirrel backed up, screaming in pain, as Harry rushed at him.

Before he could hit him again, Quirrel grabbed him by the throat with his good arm, choking him. Harry gasped for breath, his scar screaming in pain, his head feeling like it was going to split open. In desperation, he grabbed Quirrel's arm with his left hand. His scar exploded into more pain, but Quirrel let go, again screaming in pain as well. His hand was blistered, as if he was burned.

Harry fell back against the wall. He looked up, seeing Quirrel trying to use his unbroken arm to cast a wandless spell. Harry immediately shot his fist out, releasing the rock around it. The stones shot at Quirrel, knocking him back against the opposite wall.

Harry groaned in pain, his scar feeling like it was on fire. He closed his eyes, concentrating on dulling the pain, controlling it. Slowly, it faded a bit, as he opened his eyes. Quirrel had gotten up, and was going for his wand. Harry quickly shot for his sword, grabbing it and rolling to his feet. Quirrel had his wand in his burnt hand, and was aiming it at him. He sneered. "This is the end for you Potter! _Crucio_!"

Harry screamed in pain as the spell hit. It was pain beyond anything he had ever experienced or imagined. He fell on the ground, twitching and convulsing in pain. After what felt like years, the pain ended and Harry lay there, gasping for air. Quirrel chuckled as he approached.

"So...it seems even with your special Mage magic, you're still no match for me." Quirrel smirked, as he limped over. "I would love to end you, Potter, but that right is reserved for my Master."

Suddenly, there was the sound of rushed footsteps on the stairs. Quirrel turned, only to be blasted back against a wall by a powerful red spell. He slumped to the floor, panting, before slowly looking up, his eyes wide with fear.

Harry slowly turned his head, panting, to see his rescuer. There, standing on the steps with wand out stretched, was Albus Dumbledore. Power radiated from his frame, as he glanced at Harry, rushing to his side. "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah...I'm alright." He groaned as he tried to sit up, only to be stopped by Dumbledore, who was keeping his wand pointed at Quirrel.

"Don't Harry. Don't. You've been hit by a very powerful and dark spell. Don't push yourself." The Headmaster slowly stood. "Hello Quirrel. And hello to you too Tom."

There was an enraged hiss from the face on the back of Quirrel's head. "_You may have thwarted me this time Dumbledore! Bt I swear I'll return_!"

Dumbledore raised his wand, only to stop as Quirrel screamed in pain and agony. A smoky vapor left his body, forming into a wraith like figure that disappeared through the stones. Quirrel dropped to the floor, no long breathing.

Dumbledore quietly placed a finger to the man's neck, before looking down. He returned to Harry's side, conjured a stretcher out of thin air, and levitated Harry onto it. Harry glanced at his sword, and Dumbledore laid it on him.

"Professor...Hermione and Neville...they're okay?" Harry asked quietly, as Dumbledore levitated the stretched away.

The Headmaster smiled softly. "They're fine, Harry. Mr. Longbottom is being treated right now, and Miss Granger was unharmed.

Harry nodded. "Good." He said tiredly. "Professor...would you mind if I fell asleep?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Not at all, Harry. Not at all."

Harry nodded quietly, before letting his eyes close. He was asleep almost instantly.

* * *

**And that ends this chapter! So I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I had a blast writing this one. I'm actually really pleased with how it turned out. Which is rare for my work these days.**

**Now, for those of you questioning how well Harry fought against Quirrel, remember. Harry has been combat trained in close quarters combat, and is using magic Quirrel has never seen before. This automatically gives him an advantage since most wizards won't be able to fight close quarters at all, and Quirrel would be caught off guard by Harry's mage spells. This doesn't mean Harry is uber powerful, because he still technically lost the fight, caught off guard by Quirrel's use of the Crucio spell.**

**So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter could very well be the end of the First Year and this particular fanfic. **

**(1). Okay, I'm totally making this stuff about the seasons up. I don't mean to offend any Irish or those who study the Ancient Irish. I just made it up as part of the whole defense thing. However, I am 95% sure that is actual Irish Gaelic I used for those phrases. My sister is studying Irish Gaelic, and when I showed her the translator I found, she told me it was accurate.**

**Anyways, please reivew!**


	11. Years End

**Due to difficulties in writing my Demon Dragon Rider story, I've decided to just skip the current chapter for my next and last Harry Potter chapter. For this fanfic. Still six more to go.**

**I've actually been asked a couple of times why I'm doing seven separate fanfics and not just one continuous fanfic? The answer is simple.**

**1. I've found that unless the author can really capture your attention, longer fanfics tend to...well, get somewhat dull over time. Since I am one of those authors who can't keep a reader's attention for long periods of time, I felt that it'd be easier to separate the years.**

**2. Ratings. My plans for the early Potter years are mostly in the T-rating range. My plans for the later years may slip into M-rating, mostly for language and gore. So I didn't want to go and write one whole long M-rated fanfic when most of the early stuff is only T. I felt this was much easier.**

**So, now you all know. And now, we get the final chapter of Battle Mage of Hogwarts, Year One!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Years End**

Harry groaned softly as he felt himself drifting out of unconsciousness. His whole body ached, and his head was pounding. But it could be worse, right? He slowly cracked his eyes open, and immediately closed them again. _Yep, definitely worse_, he thought, his head hurting even more now.

He slowly took a deep breath, and opened his eyes again. He glanced around, trying to figure out where he was. Judging from all the white beds, the collapsible frames with curtains, and the medicinal looking potions on nearby shelves, he was in the Infirmary. Neville was sleeping several beds down from him.

He grunted softly, glancing around before reaching for his glasses on a bed side table. He slid them on, blinking as things came into focus. Including the massive pile of candy at the foot of his bed. He blinked at it, confused, until a voice answered his unasked question.

"Gifts from your well wishers," Dumbledore said, as he came over. "What happened between you and Quirrel was a secret, so naturally, the whole school knows." He chuckled softly, sitting down next to Harry. "I must say, Harry that you performed exceptionally for someone your age, against a full grown and well trained Dark Wizard."

Harry just nodded. "That battle just showed me I still have a lot to learn. Quirrel caught me off guard with that last spell. I'm betting Voldemort would have been a hundred times worse." He glanced at Dumbledore. "Professor...what happened? I saw Voldemort's...spirit? It left Quirrel. What happened after that? And how long have I been here?"

Dumbledore smiled. "What happened, my dear boy, is that Voldemort realized he was outmatched. So he retreated, to wait for his next chance at returning. Afterwards, I brought you here. You've actually been unconscious for only a day. As for the stone, well that is something I think you'll find most interesting. Originally, myself and Flamel were intending to destroy it. However, after talking with Gareth and the Battle Mages, we have entrusted it into their care. Even now, the Mages have secreted it away somewhere for protection. Though I do believe they'll thoroughly study it as well."

Harry nodded quietly, as he laid back. "Well, that's good. Though I'm probably in a lot of trouble with him and my mother," he said quietly.

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm afraid so. While your actions were noble, and you did keep Voldemort from getting his hands on the Philospher's Stone, I'm afraid that you were breaking the rules. You should have told someone what you were doing. While I normally would take points away for the rules you've broken, I think that I can let you off with a warning this time, considering the service you three did for the school, and what happened to you and Mr. Longbottom. From what I've heard, both Professor McGonagall and Flitwick were greatly impressed that you and your friends got past their contribution to the Stone's defense."

Harry nodded quietly. "Thank you Professor. I just wish I could have kept Neville form getting hurt."

Dumbledore nodded. "The wound was rather painful. But Madam Pomfrey healed it quickly. So do not worry about it." He smiled quietly, before becoming serious. "I'm afraid though that what I feared to be true has now been proven. Voldemort is still alive. We must prepare Harry. For I fear that he will find a way to return to his body. And when he does, he will come for you."

Harry nodded quietly. "I know Professor. And I'm going to be ready for him."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Alas...fate is cruel that one so young must bare so much weight upon his shoulders," he said quietly, before the twinkle returned to his eyes. "Now, enough of this grim talk. I do believe you have gifts to take care of."

The aged wizard moved to the pile of candy. "You know, I was once quite fond of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Until I came across a vomit flavored one in my youth. But I suppose I shall be safe, with a nice toffee flavored one." He opened one of the boxes, and pulled a golden brown jelly bean, before popping it into his mouth. He chewed on it, before commenting, "Alas...earwax." He smiled at Harry, who chuckled back.

However, his merriment was interrupted by a figure that came flying into the room and pulling him into a bone crushing hug. He gasped for breath, as he heard sobbing coming from the one squeezing the breath from him.

"Oh my poor boy! You're alright!" Marian Wallace wailed, hugging her adopted son. Coming in more slowly behind her was Gareth and Travis, who waved to Harry.

Marian continued to hug him. "Are you alright baby?" Harry nodded, and in an instant the hug ended. "Then you are in so much trouble when we get home mister! Going and doing something so dangerous! How could you?" She said, scolding him.

Harry sighed and mentally rolled his eyes as he took her scolding. It was the price one must pay when you do stuff like he did.

When his wife finally finished, Gareth came over. "I must say Harry, from what we've heard from Dumbledore, you showed a great amount of skill and ability down there. As well as leadership."

Harry nodded. "Thanks dad," he said quietly. "But this really did open my eyes. I need to really work to become better this summer."

Gareth nodded. "We'll talk about that when you come home. For now, rest my son. Rest." He said, gently patting Harry's head.

Harry just nodded quietly, as he leaned back in his bed, smiling softly. "So anything interesting happen back home?" He asked. He smiled as he listened to his brother go on about his own training, just relaxing with his family.

_Three Days Later_

Despite protests from Madame Pomfrey, Harry had insisted he take to the field for Gryffindor's last Quidditch Match. He convinced her that he was feeling fine. And he didn't want to let the team down.

The crowd cheered in excitement as the teams took to the field. Gryffindor's gold and scarlet robed players faced their blue and bronze clad opponents, as Oliver Wood and the Ravenclaw captain shook hands.

With a blow of Madame Hooch's whistle, the teams took to the air. Harry winced a bit as he pulled back on his Nimbus2000, still feeling sore from the Cruciatus spell. He leveled off high above the field, and began scanning for the sparkle of gold that would give away the Snitch.

Below, the battle for the Quidditch Cup was furious. Ravenclaw having lost the Quidditch Cup last year to Slytherin, was desperate to try and regain it. But equally desperate was the Gryffindor team, which had to reclaim the Cup after losing it when Charlie Weasley graduated.

The Ravenclaw chasers currently had control of the Quaffle, and were pelting down field towards Oliver. The three Gryffindor chasers moved to intercept. Alicia started things off with a dive at the Chaser who had the ball. Said Chaser tossed it to one of his partners before peeling off to avoid the dive. Angelina moved in next, rocketing alongside the Chaser and trying to knock them off balance. The chaser cursed and threw the ball to the third Ravenclaw Chaser, only to see Katie snatch it up and shoot off towards the Ravenclaw goal posts, with Alicia guarding her rear.

"Nice work by the Gryffindor chasers in intercepting the Quaffle! Alicia and Katie are tearing down field!" Lee Jordon commented. "Uh-oh! Here comes trouble!"

One of the Ravenclaw Beaters fired a Bludger at the two Chasers, only for it to be hit by the second Bludger. "Amazing block by Fred Weasley! Really unbelievable on that!"

Katie rolled under the other Beater who tried to get in her way, and tossed the Quaffle at one of the goal posts. At the last minute, the Keeper made the save, but when he threw it back, Alicia caught it and threw it, scoring. A cheer went up, as Gryffindor drew first blood in the game.

Up above, Harry let a smile out, before going back to work. He spotted a flash of gold, only to lose it just as quickly. He focused on the area where he saw it, only to see nothing. Cursing, he kept scanning.

The match continued for another half hour. By that time, Gryffindor was leading still by ten points, at sixty to fifty. Both teams seemed evenly matched, neither having any lasting advantage over the other. Each time one team scored, the other would become more fired up and pull off an impressive play, earning the next goal.

Harry watched as the Ravenclaw team took possession of the Quaffle. Their Chasers formed into an arrow point, but surprisingly the Beaters joined on the flanks. And as one, they charged forward, the lead Chaser holding the Quaffle.

Fred and George used this opportunity to launch both the Bludgers at the formation. But the Ravenclaw Beaters reacted, sending the Bludgers right back at them. The Gryffindor Chasers moved to try and intercept or force them apart, but failed, forced to peel off or cause a mid-air collision.

It was at that moment that Harry saw the Snitch, right in the path of the Ravenclaw formation. He rolled his eyes. "Of course," he whispered, before taking a deep breath and going into a power dive.

Everyone gasped as they saw him head into the steep dive. The opposing Seeker whirled, looking wildly at Harry's path. At first, he thought he was going to try and disrupt the formation. But then he saw the glint of gold. He shot off towards it.

The formation of blue clad Chasers and Beaters looked up at Harry, then at their own Seeker. The two Beaters pulled off and tried to pull ahead of Harry, to block his path. Harry trembled a bit. If he didn't catch the Snitch, he was sure the Ravenclaw Seeker would. He had to get it now.

Silently, he prayed this would work as he slid up, putting his feet onto his broom while still holding onto it. He waited till the last second, before jumping.

Everything seemed to become silent in that moment. Time seemed to slow down, as Harry flipped over the two Beaters, his broom sliding under them. Harry silently prayed that his broom would be there when he came down.

Harry grunted as he landed on his broom, grabbing the shaft of it as his legs locked back into position. A wild cheer erupted as he shot at the Snitch, and with a fast grab, scooped it up in one hand. He pulled up, clutching the Snitch in his hand as he shot that fist into the air, grinning. He found himself swarmed by his fellow teammates, as the Gryffindor supporters rushed onto the field. Oliver was crying as Fred and George whooped in celebration, as the mass of broomsticks and players descended and landed. Harry found himself being hugged by Hermione, while Neville cheered and waved the crutch he was forced to walk with temporarily in the air.

Harry grinned, as he was hoisted onto the crowds shoulder. This definitely had to be one of the best moments of his life. He raised his hand up again, eliciting another cheer from the crowd as he grinned happily.

The excitement of Gryffindor's victory lasted the remaining week of the school year, all the way to the End of the Year Feast. The Great Hall was decorated in the gold and scarlet of Gryffindor, whose victory in the Quidditch tournament and their house points had won them the House Cup as well.

All the students were chatting happily with each other, with the possible exception of the Slytherin House. But even the occasional glare from them at the Gryffindor table couldn't dampen Harry or his friend's spirit.

Dumbledore slowly stood, causing the Hall's occupants to quiet down. "Well my young friends! Another year has come and gone. We have shared many adventures this year, making new friends, and preparing to say goodbye to some of our old ones. It has been a great honor and privilege to watch you all grow here, both as wizards, and as young adults," he said, smiling softly."I hope that soon, we will be gathering here again, to welcome both old and new faces, for another year of learning and bonding."

"Now before you are all dismissed, I have some final announcements. Or rather, I wish for all of us to recognize a great service done to both to the school, and the Wizarding Community at large," he smiled, as the students began to talk amongst themselves.

"I would like to thank Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Neville Longbottom, and Mr. Harry Potter. These three students helped thwart the plot of a dark threat, and to keep him from gaining an artifact of terrible power. Their loyalty, dedication, and courage to both each other, and to this school, should be commended." He said, smiling as he raised his goblet. "Please join me in honoring them."

Almost all the students, and the entire staff slowly raised their goblets towards the three students. Hermione was blushing and looking down, Neville was in shock, while Harry just quietly nodded in recognition of the gesture.

After the toast, Dumbledore smiled and dismissed them all to bed. Harry though had something he needed to do. He slowly approached the staff table. "Professor Snape? May I please speak to you in private?" He asked quietly.

Snape stared at Harry for a moment, before silently getting up and jerking his head in a nod. Harry followed him through a door next to the High table, and into another room.

Snape turned around, his customary sneer in place. "What is it you want, Potter?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Professor...I...I wished to apologize to you," he said quietly. "During this year...ever since the incident at Halloween...I allowed myself to suspect you were the one seeking to take the Philospher's Stone. While I was never fully sure it was you, you were always my prime suspect in the matter. I feel that I have dishonored you, and I apologize for it."

Snape just stared at the boy for a moment. "I see. I suppose in your arrogance you could hardly believe I had any other motive than to steal it?"

Harry bit his lip. "To a degree, yes. My judgment was tainted by your apparent dislike for me."

Snape sneered a bit more, before turning away. "...your apology...is accepted. I hope you learned not to judge others so quickly, Potter," he snapped out.

Harry nodded. "Thank you Professor." He bowed before leaving. Snape just stood there, before quietly leaving as well.

_The next morning_

With all their belongings backed, the students quietly filed out of the castle, riding in horseless carriages down to the train station in the town of Hogsmeade. Harry, Hermione, and Neville happily talked with one another as they rode to the station, before getting out and carrying their luggage on. Once they got into a compartment, they settled down for the ride back to London. Harry took one last look out the window at the distance towers of Hogwarts, before the train started and slowly pulled away.

Hermione smiled sadly. "It's so strange, going back. It's almost like...going back to an alien world or something."

Neville nodded. "The school really becomes a second home, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. "It does," He said, smiling. He looked at the two of them. "We'll write each other over the summer, right?"

The two of them nodded. "Of course. I'll go crazy not having anyone to talk to about all this, besides my parents," Hermione said, smiling. "Of course I'll have to rent an owl, or wait till you mail me."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the compartment door opening. "So, I bet you all think you're big shots, huh?" Draco sneered at them. "Saved the school and the Wizarding world, did you?"

Harry sighed. "Get out Malfoy. Let us enjoy one hour without you tainting it."

Malfoy just sneered. "You'll pay for all you've done, Potter. Trust me." With that, he turned to leave, his two cronies behind him.

Harry sighed. "That's one thing I won't miss. Well two I guess," he said, thinking about Ron. He had become rather insufferable after the Quidditch Finals, thinking Harry's ego had become even more swollen.

Hermione and Neville both nodded, before Hermione pulled a book out. Neville pulled out some cards. "You want to play Exploding Snap, Harry?"

They played several hands, eventually joined by Hermione, and then later Fred and George. Then they simply talked about plans over the summer and meeting up next year.

As the hills began to give way to villages, they changed into normal muggle clothing. And as the train slowed, entering the station, they began to gather their things. When the train stopped, the students slowly began to pour out.

Harry smiled softly as he stepped onto the platform. He looked to his two friends. "I guess this is it, huh?"

They nodded. Hermione quickly hugged Harry. "Thank you Harry. For everything. I'll miss you."

Harry quietly hugged her back. He smiled as he and Neville patted each other on the shoulder. "Thanks Harry."

Harry nodded. "Thank you. The both of you."

They said their final goodbyes, and then separated to meet their parents. Harry smiled as he found his, waiting for him. Gareth grinned. "Ready to go home son?"

Harry smiled up at him and nodded. And with a final look over his shoulder at the crowded platform, Harry disappeared through the barrier.

_In an unknown location_

A figure quietly read the letter that had been sent to him. "How intriguing," he said quietly, before gently setting it aside, and slowly moving to a bookcase. He scanned the shelves, before selecting a tome and pulling it out. "I wonder...if it's finally time." He gently set the book down, a ray of sunlight exposing the silver dragon on the front.

* * *

**And done. Well that wraps up the first year of Harry Potter: battle Mage of Hogwarts. I hope you all enjoyed this fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I'm a little peeved it took me over a year to write these 11 chapters though. I was hoping to get done with this one a lot faster. But with the flip flopping between this and my Naruto stories, and my recent motivation problems when it comes to writing, I got slowed down.**

**Still, I hope to pick things back up in the future.**

**I hope you'll all look into my future Harry Potter works, including the soon to be released Year 2. How soon? As soon as I've written my next Demon Dragon Rider chapter, and the first chapter of Year 2.**

**Till next time!**

**Please Review.**


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